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LaurelMuseum

LaurelMD

A town of 29,798, settled in 1870. Nearly 3.5% of it is conserved land.

5 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Adavidb at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
29,798
+19.7% since 2010
Typical home
$473K
−0.7% in a year
Household income
$101K
median
Median age
36.3
years
Jobs based here
11,095
Balanced

What makes Laurel stand out

The 3 things Laurel does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data
A growing town

Laurel has grown 19.7% since 2010

25,115 people in 2010; 29,798 today.

25,1152010
30,0602020
29,798Today

U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 · ACS

Laurel’s report card

See the data ↓

Now in Laurel

What neighbors are saying. Town Square →

TUnder 10 neighbors so farJoin Laurel →
Residents weigh in
Live in Laurel? Is a D for safety right?
Your answer becomes a post in Laurel’s Town Square.
TT Weaver · 1d · Town talk

Laurel's Ordinary Days

I've been wondering, for those who grew up in Laurel, what did a perfect ordinary day in town look like back then, maybe strolling along the historic Main…

Or start one of these

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Laurel. Another town gets a different order.

Outdoors

3.5% of Laurel is conserved land

5.8 miles of trails across 12 parks and preserves.

#55for trails in MD
Map of Laurel: conserved land, trails and the top places to walk
Green: conserved land · dashed: trails · numbers: the places below
3.5%
conserved · 108 of 3,075 acres
5.8 mi
of trails · 1.2 per sq mi
#22
most walkable in MD
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Granville Gude Park & Lakehouse0.9 mi25
2. Alice B. McCullough Field0.3 mi8
3. Riverfront Park0.2 mi31
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Health

Healthier than 66% of U.S. towns

Laurel beats the Maryland average on 8 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11.

B+Health Grade
32 measures vs. Maryland
8 better13 too close to call11 worse
What stands outLaurelMD
Fewer adults who have had cancer4.8%7.6%
Fewer adults with heart disease4.1%5.8%
More adults facing housing insecurity19.1%13.5%
Adventist Healthcare White Oak Medical Center
6.7 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
44th
percentile among MD towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Safety

Less crime per resident than 6% of U.S. towns

Laurel reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 94% report less.

DSafety Grade

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Laurel3.5
Maryland3.7
U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Laurel39
Maryland18.5
U.S.15.5
6th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
16th
percentile among MD towns
107
violent crimes reported in 2025
1,181
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Natural hazards

Very low risk, with inland flooding at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 1% of U.S. communities.

1risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
1Very low riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingHeat wavesTornadoes
7
paid flood claims since 2004
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Schools

Laurel’s public schools outperform 8% of Maryland districts

The public schools Laurel’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 92% of Maryland’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

DSchool Grade
SchoolGradesStudentsGrade
Scotchtown Hills ElementaryPK–5589C
Laurel ElementaryPK–5472D
St. Mary of the Mills School PrivateK–8221
Christian Academy of Laurel PrivatePK–8189
Laurel High9–122,129B
St. Vincent Pallotti High School Private9–12419
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduationAll 6 schools →
Housing

A typical Laurel home is worth about $473K

The typical Laurel home is worth about $473,000, down 0.7% in a year, 10% above the Maryland typical home.

$473KZillow home value

Typical home value

Laurel$473K
Maryland$428K
Market temperature
BalancedA balanced marketBuyer’sSeller’s
39
days on market
100.5%
sale-to-list price
−0.7%
value change, 1 year
15
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Work & commute

Most working residents commute out of Laurel

Most working residents leave Laurel for work: only 5% work in town. The top destinations are Washington (16%), Columbia (5%) and Baltimore (4%). Half commute less than 14 miles.

5%work in town

Where working residents work

In Laurel5%
Washington16%
Columbia5%
Baltimore4%
Rockville3%
14 mi
median commute distance
11,095
jobs based in Laurel
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Climate

Four seasons, pleasant summers

Laurel has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

16″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter27–45°
Spring43–65°
Summer65–86°
Fall47–68°
Nov 1
typical first frost
Apr 10
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Auto races
1912 · Auto races · Library of Congress
Laurel’s story

156 years in pictures

6 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 3 places on the National Register.

Atlas of fifteen miles around Washington, including the County of Prince George, MarylandAtlas of fifteen miles around Washington, including the county of Montgomery, MarylandAuto races
Explore the history →

Landmarks

3 places in Laurel on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Famous people from Laurel

28 notable people were born in Laurel.

See all 28 →

About Laurel

City in Maryland, United States

Official town website ↗

Laurel is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. It is located between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore on the banks of the Patuxent River. Formally, Laurel is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area, and its population was 30,060 at the 2020 census. Founded as a mill town in the early 19th century, Laurel expanded local industry, and later became an early commuter town for Washington and Baltimore workers, following the arrival of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1835. Largely residential today, the city maintains a historic district centered on its Main Street.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established
1870
Population
30,060
Area
4.8 sq mi
Elevation
164 ft
ZIP code
20707, 20708, 20709
Area code
301, 240

Laurel’s neighbors

5 towns share a border with Laurel.

Explore the map →

More about Laurel

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Photo of Laurel

Laurel, MD · Photo: Adavidb at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source ↗