Abraham and Carrie Erb House · National Register of Historic Places
Laurel’s story
Laurel in pictures
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →
LaurelMT
A town of 7,215. Nearly 6.6% of it is conserved land.
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0
Population
7,215
+7.5% since 2010
Typical home
$378K
+1.2% in a year
Household income
$68K
median
Median age
37.1
years
Jobs based here
2,414
A commuter town
What makes Laurel stand out
The 3 things Laurel does most differently from other towns.
Laurel’s report card
Outdoors1 miof trails · 6.6% conservedSchoolsCBeats 32% of MT districtsHousing$378K20% below the MT typical homeCommute12 miHalf of commuters travel lessSafetyDLess crime than 10% of U.S. townsHealthBHealthier than 63% of U.S. townsHazards24/100Low risk of storm & flood damageClimate88°/15°Summer high · winter low · 48″ snow
Now in Laurel
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Laurel is #40 of 43 in MT for “Coolest summers”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Laurel’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →40°
Mostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Rain Showers
H 65° · L 43°
Local news
All →- Laurel football coach CJ oach Edgmond receives 1-game suspension from MHSALaurel Outlook · Oct 1
- Havre vs Laurel - Boys Varsity Football 10/23/2026 | Watch Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 28
- Team Highlights: Varsity Football Billings Central Catholic High School vs. Laurel High School - LaurelNFHS Network · Sep 28
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Laurel. Another town gets a different order.
Outdoors
6.6% of Laurel is conserved land
0.9 miles of trails across 9 parks and preserves.
6.6%conserved
6.6%
conserved · 109 of 1,657 acres
0.9 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
#7
most walkable in MT
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lions Family Park | 0.9 mi | 29 |
| 2. Riverside Park | — | 27 |
| 3. Thompson Park | — | 17 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Schools
Laurel’s public schools outperform 32% of Montana districts
The public schools Laurel’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 68% of Montana’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
CSchool Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| West School | 1–2 | 248 | Not graded |
| Fred W Graff School | 3–4 | 245 | B |
| South School | PK–K | 158 | Not graded |
| New Life School of Light Private | PK–8 | 33 | |
| Laurel Middle School | 5–8 | 506 | C |
| Laurel High School | 9–12 | 578 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MT on state tests and graduationAll 6 schools →
Housing
A typical Laurel home is worth about $378K
The typical Laurel home is worth about $378,000, up 1.2% in a year, 20% below the Montana typical home.
$378KZillow home value
Typical home value
Laurel$378K
Montana$472K
Market temperature
54
days on market
+1.2%
value change, 1 year
12
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Work & commute
About one in six working residents works right in Laurel
Most working residents leave Laurel for work: only 18% work in town. The top destinations are Billings (48%), Lockwood (2%) and Helena (2%). Half commute less than 12 miles.
18%work in town
Where working residents work
In Laurel18%
Billings48%
Lockwood2%
Helena2%
Columbus1%
12 mi
median commute distance
2,414
jobs based in Laurel
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 10% of U.S. towns
Laurel reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 90% report less.
DSafety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Laurel3
Montana4.2
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Laurel30.9
Montana14.7
U.S.15.5
10th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
22nd
percentile among MT towns
22
violent crimes reported in 2025
224
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Health
Healthier than 63% of U.S. towns
Laurel tracks Montana closely on all 32 CDC measures.
BHealth Grade
32 measures vs. Montana
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
Intermountain Health St. Vincent Regional Hospital
14.9 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
50th
percentile among MT towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Natural hazards
Low risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 24% of U.S. communities.
24risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
11
paid flood claims since 1978
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Climate
Snowy winters, pleasant summers
Laurel has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 48 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
48″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter16–38°
Spring33–59°
Summer53–84°
Fall34–61°
Oct 3
typical first frost
May 5
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Landmarks
4 places in Laurel on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Laurel
City in Montana, United States
Laurel is a city in Yellowstone County, Montana, United States and the third largest community in the Billings Metropolitan Statistical Area. Laurel is located in the Yellowstone Valley as an east–west terminal division point of the BNSF Railway. The population was 7,222 at the 2020 census. Laurel is home to a Cenex Harvest States oil refinery and BNSF's Laurel Yard, the largest rail yard between St. Paul, Minnesota and Pasco, Washington.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 7,222
- Area
- 2.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 3,301 ft
- ZIP code
- 59044
- Area code
- 406
More about Laurel
Still missing for Laurel:archive photosupcoming events