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LaurelMS

A town of 17,679, settled in 1882. A regional job hub with 18,303 jobs.

1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Michlaovic · Public domain
Population
17,679
−7.4% since 2010
Typical home
$140K
−2.2% in a year
Household income
$48K
median
Median age
35.1
years
Jobs based here
18,303
A job hub

What makes Laurel stand out

The 3 things Laurel does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data
A job hub

Every workday, about 15,523 people come to Laurel for work

Where Laurel’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

8% → Hattiesburg Hattiesburg 8% 3% → Ellisville Ellisville 3% 2% → Jackson Jackson 2% 2% → Collins Collins 2% 1% → Meridian Meridian 1% 1% → Petal Petal 1% Laurel · 46% stay
18,303jobs based in Laurel
46%of working residents work in town
5 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

Laurel’s report card

See the data ↓

Now in Laurel

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Laurel is #41 of 41 in MS for “Safest”. Fair?
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The data

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

Work & commute

About half of working residents work right in Laurel

46% of Laurel’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Hattiesburg (8%), Ellisville (3%) and Jackson (2%). Half commute less than 5 miles.

46%work in town

Where working residents work

In Laurel46%
Hattiesburg8%
Ellisville3%
Jackson2%
Collins2%
5 mi
median commute distance
18,303
jobs based in Laurel
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Outdoors

0.7% of Laurel is conserved land

5.6 miles of trails across 9 parks and preserves.

#17for trails in MS
Map of Laurel: conserved land, trails and the top places to walk
Green: conserved land · dashed: trails · numbers: the places below
0.7%
conserved · 89 of 11,951 acres
5.6 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
#13
most walkable in MS
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Gardiner Park0.5 mi10
2. Laurel Sportsplex—91
3. Mason Memorial Park—26
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Health

Healthier than 7% of U.S. towns

Laurel beats the Mississippi average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15.

DHealth Grade
32 measures vs. Mississippi
1 better16 too close to call15 worse
What stands outLaurelMS
Fewer binge drinkers10.8%13.6%
More adults facing a utility shut-off17.3%11.2%
South Central Reg Med Ctr
0.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
36th
percentile among MS towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Safety

Less crime per resident than 3% of U.S. towns

Laurel reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 97% report less.

D−Safety Grade

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Laurel7.5
Mississippi2.2
U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Laurel29.1
Mississippi13.1
U.S.15.5
3rd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
0th
percentile among MS towns
130
violent crimes reported in 2025
508
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Housing

A typical Laurel home is worth about $140K

The typical Laurel home is worth about $140,000, down 2.2% in a year, 29% below the Mississippi typical home.

$140KZillow home value

Typical home value

Laurel$140K
Mississippi$198K
−2.2%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Climate

Mild winters, hot summers

Laurel has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 36°, and snow is almost unheard of.

92°summer high

Typical low → high °F

Winter38–62°
Spring53–78°
Summer69–91°
Fall53–79°
Nov 12
typical first frost
Mar 12
typical last frost
+0.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
92°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Schools

Laurel’s public schools outperform 61% of Mississippi districts

The public schools Laurel’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 61% of Mississippi’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.

BSchool Grade
SchoolGradesStudentsGrade
Nora Davis Elementary2–4519Not graded
Oak Park Elementary SchoolPK–1405D
Laurel Magnet School Of The ArtsPK–6323A+
St. Johns Day School PrivatePK–6174
Laurel Middle School7–8388C−
Laurel Upper Elementary5–6253D
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MS on state tests and graduationAll 11 schools →
Natural hazards

High risk, with inland flooding at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 62% of U.S. communities.

62risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
62High riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingTornadoesHurricanes
108
paid flood claims since 1979
11
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Oak Street, Laurel, Mississippi (circa 1900)
c. 1900 · Oak Street, Laurel, Mississippi (circa 1900) · Wikimedia Commons
Laurel’s story

144 years in pictures

6 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 8 places on the National Register.

School in Mill DistrictSome of the young workersNoon hour. Two of the young workers
Explore the history →

Landmarks

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

All landmarks →

About Laurel

City in Mississippi, United States

Official town website ↗

Laurel is a city in and the second county seat of Jones County, Mississippi, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 17,161. Laurel is northeast of Ellisville, the first county seat, which contains the first county courthouse. It has the second county courthouse, as Jones County has two judicial districts. Laurel is the headquarters of the Jones County Sheriff's Department, which has jurisdiction in the county. Laurel is the principal city of a micropolitan statistical area named for it. Its major employers include Howard Industries, Sanderson Farms, Masonite International, Family Health Center, Howse Implement, Thermo-Kool, and South Central Regional Medical Cent…

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

Established
1882
Population
17,161
Area
17 sq mi
Elevation
269 ft
ZIP code
39440, 39441, 39442
Area code
601

Laurel’s neighbors

One town shares a border with Laurel.

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Photo of Laurel

Laurel, MS · Photo: Michlaovic · Public domain · Source ↗