Laurel Bay is home to 5,882 people in South Carolina. This skews young, with a median age of 23.0. Owners hold 22% of the housing stock. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 19% of adults. 1% of locals were born outside the United States. People stay put here: 79% were in the same home a year ago.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $54,345, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 23.0
US median: 38.9
Less educated
19% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 83%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Laurel Bay
What changed most since 1990
Poverty rate5.4% → 17.5%(+12.1 pts)US over the same years: −0.8 pts
Black share26.3% → 38.4%(+12.1 pts)US over the same years: +0.2 pts
Adults with a bachelor's degree14.7% → 19.3%(+4.5 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Laurel Bay's population equals 3.0% of Beaufort County's. Its number of people who work from home equals 0.2% of the county's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 0.4% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)63.9%(204)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)16.6%(53)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era10%(32)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War0%(0)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 319 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Laurel Bay, decade by decade
Laurel Bay population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
4,972
$65,656
$127,684
14.7%
61.7
2000
6,625
$74,282
$126,969
15.9%
66.7
2010
5,891
$67,322
$219,670
11.8%
69.3
2020
5,082
$61,101
$199,380
14.0%
81.8
2024
5,882
$54,345
$231,800
19.3%
78.6
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
