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%

Laurel$1,660/mo

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

Lakeside$1,990/mo

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

Laurel and Lakeside share a border

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

LaurelLakeside

Laurel ↔ Lakeside2.3 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+LaurelBetter than 39% of districts in the state C+LakesideBetter than 39% of districts in the state

Health

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

8Laurel

9Lakeside

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

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

Left end = #1 in Virginia. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Laurel’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

LaurelLakeside

Snow a year15″15″

January low27°F 27°F

July high87°F 87°F

Growing season (days)201d 201d

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

Outdoors & history

LaurelLakeside

Trails0 mi 11 mi

Conserved land0.1%9.7%

National Register places—1

Famous people born here—1

Community

LaurelLakeside

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

LaurelLakeside

People

Population 18,721Highest 12,654Lowest

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

Median age 35.1±1.8Lowest 10% below VA 36.4±1.9Highest 7% 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 21%±2.6Highest VA: 21.7% 20.7%±3.5Lowest 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+ 11.8%±1.3Lowest VA: 16.7% 14.7%±2.4Highest 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+ 29.8%Lowest VA: 42.2% 39.5%Highest VA: 42.2%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.9%±2.6Highest VA: 6.9% 4.3%±1.8Lowest 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 $73,609±$9kHighest 21% below VA $72,032±$13kLowest 23% 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 $283,600±$9kLowest 26% below VA $288,200±$9kHighest 25% 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 $1,616±$94Highest about the VA average $1,361±$88Lowest 14% below VA

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

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 57.2%±8.6Highest VA: 48.5% 56%±12.7Lowest 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 8.4%Lowest VA: 9.9% 11.8%Highest VA: 9.9%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

Work from home 15.7%±2.8Lowest VA: 18.3% 23.8%±5.6Highest 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 3.6%Highest 1.9%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 8.3 miHighest 6.8 miLowest

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others 1% work in Lakeside3% work in Laurel

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.1%Lowest 9.7%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.3 miLowest 11.1 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 2.5 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 5Highest

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

Schools

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

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

High school in town Hermitage HighNone in town

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.

Laurel neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Laurel’s Town Square.

Lakeside neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lakeside’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Laurel and Lakeside

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

Bordering Laurel

+ Compare

Glen Allen17,551 people · $357K homes

+ Compare

Dumbarton7,997 people · $291K homes

Towns like Laurel

+ Compare

Culpeper20,794 people · $390K homes

+ Compare

Winchester27,913 people · $343K homes

+ Compare

Waynesboro22,841 people · $246K homes

+ Compare

Front Royal15,296 people · $314K 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.

Laurel vs Lakeside

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $340 more a month in Lakeside

Laurel and Lakeside 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 Laurel and Lakeside

Bordering Laurel

Towns like Laurel

Post to Laurel

Check your email