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CITY

Laurel

Virginia · 18,721 residents · 5.39 sq mi
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The short version

Laurel is home to 18,721 people in Virginia. Owners hold 52% of the housing stock. Density works out to 3,475 people per square mile. This skews young, with a median age of 35.1. The population is up 26% since 2000. That trails the Virginia median by roughly 21%.

At a glance
Lower income
median household income $73,609, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 35.1
US median: 38.9
Less educated
30% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 54%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Laurel

What changed most since 1990

  • White share81.1% → 43.0% (−38.1 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
  • Black share15.0% → 27.9% (+12.9 pts)US over the same years: +0.2 pts
  • Adults with a bachelor's degree24.2% → 29.8% (+5.7 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts

Among the 52 cities and towns in the Richmond metro

  • 23rd in household income$73,609
  • 29th in share with a bachelor's degree29.8%
  • 28th in home value$283,600
  • 3rd in diversity score88.1

Its weight in Henrico County

Laurel's population equals 5.6% of Henrico County's. Its number of veterans equals 3.0% of the county's. Its number of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher equals 3.6% of the county's.

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
18,721
+26%since 2000
from 14,875 in 2000
1990 – 2024
Population density
3,475 / sq mi
+26%since 2000
from 2,761 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
35.1
+3%since 2000
from 34.1 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
5.39 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
12K14K16K18K19K19902000201020202024Laurel
202419K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.4%(1,192)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.3%(990)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.2%(1,156)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.1%(953)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.6%(1,230)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3420.3%(3,804)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4414.3%(2,670)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.4%(2,313)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6411.7%(2,196)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 746.8%(1,282)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.5%(657)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.5%(278)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$73,609
−4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $42,128 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$38,535
+76%since 2000
from $21,893 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
49.1%
+22.2 ptssince 2009
from 26.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
8.4%
+3.0 ptssince 2000
from 5.4% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.412
+23%since 2010
from 0.334 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information13.9%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services10.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration7.8%
US avg: 4.8%
Wholesale trade6.4%
US avg: 6.9%
Retail trade5.6%
US avg: 9.9%
Finance & insurance4.7%
US avg: 5.9%
Transportation & warehousing3.9%
US avg: 2.2%
Professional, scientific, technical3.8%
US avg: 5.1%
Arts, entertainment, food1.6%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.7%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.6%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$283,600
+54%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $101,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,616
+28%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $691 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
51.8%
−6.4 ptssince 2000
from 58.3% in 2000
48.2% rent
Vacancy rate
6.0%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 7.1% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.49 people
+3%since 2009
from 2.42 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
13.1%
−23.7 ptssince 2009
from 36.8% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
53.7%
+9.7 ptssince 2009
from 44.0% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.9
+10%since 2009
from 3.5 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
42
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic63.4%(9,435)
Black24%(3,567)
Hispanic / Latino4.2%(618)
Asian6.1%(910)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic43%(8,053)
Black27.9%(5,220)
Hispanic / Latino15.1%(2,823)
Asian8%(1,497)
Other6%(1,128)
Diversity Score
88
+17%since 2009
from 75 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican4.3%(812)
Salvadoran3%(561)
Venezuelan2%(373)
Puerto Rican1.7%(315)
Honduran1.4%(261)
Dominican0.9%(168)
Guatemalan0.7%(130)
Cuban0.3%(56)
Colombian0.3%(56)
Peruvian0.1%(23)
+ 4 more hispanic origin groups with data
Panamanian0.1%(16)
Ecuadorian0.1%(15)
Asian origin
Asian Indian2.5%(470)
Vietnamese2%(376)
Bhutanese1.2%(228)
Nepalese0.8%(144)
Pakistani0.3%(55)
Kazakh0.3%(52)
Korean0.2%(46)
Chinese0.2%(44)
Filipino0.2%(38)
Bangladeshi0.1%(22)
Taiwanese0.1%(12)
Ancestry
English9.7%(1,822)
German6.9%(1,297)
Irish5.3%(995)
American3.7%(686)
Scotch-Irish2.7%(501)
Italian2.1%(385)
Scottish2%(373)
West Indian1.5%(279)
Arab1.4%(269)
French1%(194)
Haitian0.9%(176)
+ 29 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh0.6%(103)
Polish0.5%(96)
British0.5%(95)
Egyptian0.5%(93)
Kenyan0.5%(87)
Russian0.4%(76)
Romanian0.2%(45)
Swedish0.2%(35)
Bulgarian0.2%(30)
Danish0.2%(30)
Ethiopian0.1%(28)
Moroccan0.1%(27)
Dutch0.1%(24)
Hungarian0.1%(24)
Nigerian0.1%(24)
Austrian0.1%(21)
Greek0.1%(18)
Iraqi0.1%(15)
Portuguese0.1%(12)
Jordanian0.1%(11)
Lebanese0.1%(10)
Czech0%(6)
Slovene0%(5)
Swiss0%(3)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
29.8%
+3.6 ptssince 2000
from 26.2% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
88.5%
+4.4 ptssince 2000
from 84.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
10.5%
+2.7 ptssince 2000
from 7.8% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
24.0 min
+100%since 2000
from 12.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
69.9%
−5.6 ptssince 2009
from 75.5% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
10.7%
−7.4 ptssince 2009
from 18.0% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.2%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 1.5% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
15.7%
+13.2 ptssince 2009
from 2.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
0.2%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 1.5% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.0%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
4.6%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 4.7% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.0%
−3.2 ptssince 2011
from 8.2% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
71.6%
+1.1 ptssince 2011
from 70.5% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
84.4%
+2.7 ptssince 2020
from 81.7% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
12.8%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 11.8% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
39.1%
+7.8 ptssince 2009
from 31.3% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.1%
−2.5 ptssince 2009
from 50.7% in 2009
Female
51.9%
+2.5 ptssince 2009
from 49.3% in 2009
Foreign born
21.3%
+4.8 ptssince 2009
from 16.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
3.1%
−8.9 ptssince 2009
from 11.9% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
10.8%
+1.0 ptssince 2012
from 9.8% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
12.9%
−6.5 ptssince 2013
from 19.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
93.1%
+7.1 ptssince 2017
from 86.0% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
96.9%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 95.5% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
81.2%
+4.8 ptssince 2020
from 76.4% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
72.6%
−8.7 ptssince 2016
from 81.4% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
11.9%
+3.8 ptssince 2016
from 8.1% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married48.7%(3,574)
Married40.5%(2,974)
Widowed2.2%(161)
Divorced8.5%(627)
Women 15+
Never married34%(2,735)
Married39.8%(3,204)
Widowed8.4%(676)
Divorced17.8%(1,432)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
12.9%
−6.5 ptssince 2013
from 19.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
57.7%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 58.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
11.0%
−2.5 ptssince 2020
from 13.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
12.4%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 12.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
19.8%
+3.6 ptssince 2020
from 16.2% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
0.9%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 1.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
66.7%
−3.8 ptssince 2020
from 70.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
30.5%
+2.3 ptssince 2020
from 28.2% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

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)17.2%(78)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)38.2%(173)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era21.9%(99)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War2%(9)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II2%(9)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 453 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, decade by decade

Laurel population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
199013,011$84,674$181,44524.2%39.9
200014,875$76,743$184,35126.2%66.8
201016,713$71,818$280,52125.7%80.4
202017,769$69,458$254,16528.4%87.3
202418,721$73,609$283,60029.8%88.1

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.

Drill deeper

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Head to head

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LAUREL VS
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LAUREL VS
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Laurel, Virginia?

Laurel, Virginia has about 18,721 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Laurel, Virginia?

The typical household in Laurel, Virginia earns about $73,609 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Laurel, Virginia expensive?

In Laurel, Virginia, the median home is worth about $283,600, and the typical rent is about $1,616 a month.

How educated are people in Laurel, Virginia?

About 29.8% of adults age 25 and over in Laurel, Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Laurel, Virginia?

About 8.4% of people in Laurel, Virginia live below the federal poverty line.

Has Laurel, Virginia grown since 1990?

Yes, Laurel, Virginia has grown since 1990. The population has added about 5,710 residents, a change of about 44 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →