A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Lakeside$1,990/mo

Typical home $344K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.65% · or rent about $1,361/mo · Housing →

Laurel$1,660/mo

Typical home $284K (Census) · tax rate 0.72% · or rent about $1,616/mo · Housing →

The difference: $340 a month, about $4,000 a year, between Lakeside and Laurel.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Where they are

Lakeside and Laurel share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

LakesideLaurel

Lakeside ↔ Laurel2.3 miles apart · They share a border

Who commutes between them

194 Lakeside residents work in Laurel (3.3% of its workers)

109 Laurel residents work in Lakeside (1.4% of its workers)

Work & commute in Lakeside →

Report cards

Lakeside places higher on 9 of 19 VA lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Virginia ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools

C+LakesideBetter than 39% of districts in the state C+LaurelBetter than 39% of districts in the state

Health

BLakesideHealthier than 56% of U.S. towns BLaurelHealthier than 58% of U.S. towns

9Lakeside

8Laurel

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most conserved landOutdoors · 243 towns #67#236 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 255 towns #129#189 Fastest growingGrowth · 240 towns #175#120 Lowest depressionHealth · 255 towns #176#122 Most remote workersWork · 248 towns #85#132 Shortest commuteGetting around · 255 towns #39#85 Most walkableOutdoors · 255 towns #72#31 Most educatedPeople · 255 towns #137#177

Left end = #1 in Virginia. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Lakeside’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

LakesideLaurel

Snow a year15″15″

January low27°F 27°F

July high87°F 87°F

Growing season (days)201d 201d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)22nd 7th

Outdoors & history

LakesideLaurel

Trails11 mi 0 mi

Conserved land9.7%0.1%

National Register places1 —

Famous people born here1 —

Community

LakesideLaurel

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Virginia average

LakesideLaurel

People

Population 12,654Lowest 18,721Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +3%Lowest VA: +7.9% +6.3%Highest VA: +7.9%

Median age 36.4±1.9Highest 7% below VA 35.1±1.8Lowest 10% below VA

Lakeside and Laurel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 20.7%±3.5Lowest VA: 21.7% 21%±2.6Highest VA: 21.7%

Laurel and Lakeside are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 14.7%±2.4Highest VA: 16.7% 11.8%±1.3Lowest VA: 16.7%

Lakeside and Laurel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 39.5%Highest VA: 42.2% 29.8%Lowest VA: 42.2%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.3%±1.8Lowest VA: 6.9% 7.9%±2.6Highest VA: 6.9%

Laurel and Lakeside are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $72,032±$13kLowest 23% below VA $73,609±$9kHighest 21% below VA

Laurel and Lakeside are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $288,200±$9kHighest 25% below VA $283,600±$9kLowest 26% below VA

Lakeside and Laurel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,361±$88Lowest 14% below VA $1,616±$94Highest about the VA average

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,885Lowest 32% below VA $2,036Highest 27% below VA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 56%±12.7Lowest VA: 48.5% 57.2%±8.6Highest VA: 48.5%

Laurel and Lakeside are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 11.8%Highest VA: 9.9% 8.4%Lowest VA: 9.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 65.2%Highest VA: 67.3% 51.8%Lowest VA: 67.3%

Typical home builtmedian year 1954Lowest 30 yrs older than VA 1982Highest 2 yrs older than VA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 20 minLowest 27% below VA 24 minHighest 12% below VA

Work from home 23.8%±5.6Highest VA: 18.3% 15.7%±2.8Lowest VA: 18.3%

Lakeside and Laurel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 1.9%Lowest 3.6%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 6.8 miLowest 8.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.76Lowest 1.44Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Richmond (22%)Richmond (20%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others 3% work in Laurel1% work in Lakeside

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 9.7%Highest 0.1%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 11.1 miHighest 0.3 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 2.5 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 5Highest 1Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 87.5Lowest 116Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #180 of 219 in VA #181 of 219 in VA

School district Henrico County Public SchoolsDepartment of Education State-Operated Educ Prgms · Henrico County Public Schools

High school in town None in townHermitage High

Students per teacherat that high school — 16.7

Virginia average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Lakeside neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lakeside’s Town Square.

Laurel neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Laurel’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Lakeside and Laurel

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Lakeside

+ Compare

Richmond229,359 people · $353K homes

+ Compare

Dumbarton7,997 people · $291K homes

Towns like Lakeside

+ Compare

Christiansburg22,720 people · $253K homes

+ Compare

Warrenton10,176 people · $478K homes

+ Compare

Staunton25,948 people · $259K homes

+ Compare

Colonial Heights18,352 people · $247K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Lakeside vs Laurel

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $340 more a month in Lakeside

Lakeside and Laurel share a border

Lakeside places higher on 9 of 19 VA lists

What daily life feels like in each

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Lakeside and Laurel

Bordering Lakeside

Towns like Lakeside

Post to Lakeside

Check your email