Laurel, Mississippi Population 2024

16,922

Laurel is a city located in Jasper County, Jones County, and Wayne County Mississippi. Laurel has a 2024 population of 16,922. Laurel is currently declining at a rate of -0.34% annually and its population has decreased by -1.33% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 17,150 in 2020.

The average household income in Laurel is $63,597 with a poverty rate of 32.56%. The median age in Laurel is 37.6 years: 34.8 years for males, and 39 years for females.

Laurel Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Laurel was:

  • Black or African American: 65.52%
  • White: 31.27%
  • Other race: 1.27%
  • Two or more races: 1.13%
  • Native American: 0.6%
  • Asian: 0.21%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0%
Land Area (mi²)
16.2 sq mi
Density (mi²)
1,042.30/sq mi
Growth Since 2020
-1.33% (-228)
The current population of Laurel, Mississippi is 16,922 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates (released May 2024). The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 17,150.

Population by Race

Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
Black or African American11,29765.52%
White5,39131.27%
Other race2191.27%
Two or more races1951.13%
Native American1030.6%
Asian360.21%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander00%

Black or African American

White

Other race

Two or more races

Native American

Asian

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Laurel Population by Race

Laurel Population Pyramid 2024

Laurel Median Age

37.6

Total

34.8

Male

39

Female

Laurel Adults

There are 13,010 adults, (3,082 of whom are seniors) in Laurel.

Laurel Age Dependency

73.7

Age Dependency Ratio

31

Old Age Dependency Ratio

42.6

Child Dependency Ratio

Laurel Sex Ratio

Female8,90451.64%
Male8,33748.36%

Laurel Population by Age

Laurel Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All6,4432.6163.536.5
Non Family2,4131.2159.940.1
Married2,1053.2890.49.6
Female1,5643.7532.267.8
Male3613.266.833.2

3.33

Average Family Size

2.61

Average Household Size

63.5%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Laurel Households and Families

Male

Female

Education Attained
Count
Percentage
9th to 12th Grade1,1349.99%
Associates Degree7806.87%
Bachelors Degree1,51613.35%
Graduate Degree9698.53%
High School Graduate3,84833.89%
Less Than 9th Grade9798.62%
Some College2,12918.75%

Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Laurel Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Laurel Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

Race
Total
High School
Bachelors
Black7,2115,964923
White3,6893,0531,535
Hispanic3771470
Other Race1701010
2+ Races114580
Asian363627
Native American3600

The highest rate of high school graduation is among asian people with a rate of 100%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 75%.

Laurel Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

Name
Average
Male
Female
Bachelors Degree$57,386$48,750$58,225
Graduate Degree$80,072$96,583$53,819
High School Graduate$25,711$29,426$20,538
Less Than 9th Grade$19,099$38,278$15,698
Overall$29,098$33,490$24,878
Some College$27,463$30,655$23,323

$29,098

Average Earnings

$33,490

Average Male

$24,878

Average Female

Laurel Earnings by Educational Attainment

Laurel Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Laurel Language

94.85% of Laurel residents speak only English, while 5.15% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 4.74% of the population.

Laurel Language

Laurel Poverty by Race

rate

Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
Black11,2244,74842.3%
White4,84667113.85%
Other2196027.4%
Hispanic653609.19%

32.56%

Overall Poverty Rate

31.28%

Male Poverty Rate

33.79%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Laurel

The race most likely to be in poverty in Laurel is Black, with 42.3% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Laurel is Hispanic, with 9.19% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 11.43%. Among those working part-time, it was 23.62%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 38.32%.

Laurel Poverty

rate

Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade42.59%
High School37.82%
Some College21.33%
Bachelors or Greater4.16%

Laurel Poverty Rate by Education

rate

Rate
Poverty
Female Unemployed26.63%
Female Employed16.92%
Male Employed9.38%
Male Unemployed4%

Laurel Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Laurel Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

Name
Median
Mean
Families$44,458$81,542
Households$36,336$63,597
Married Families$72,344$-999,999,999
Non Families$20,730$32,107

mean

median

Income by Household Type

Laurel Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

36.3%

Overall Marriage Rate

41.1%

Male Marriage Rate

32.2%

Female Marriage Rate

Laurel Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Laurel Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 55-64.

Laurel Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Laurel Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

780

Number of Veterans

752

Male Veterans

28

Female Veterans

War
Veterans
Vietnam283
First Gulf War234
Second Gulf War113
Korea71
World War II10

Laurel Veterans by War

count

Age Group
Veterans
75+227
55 to 64205
65 to 74188
35 to 54144
18 to 3416

Laurel Veterans by Age

count

Name
Veterans
% of Total
White4690.11124288425047438
Black3110.03751507840772014

Laurel Veterans by Race

Laurel Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

23.46%

Veteran Poverty Rate

35.91%

Veteran Disability Rate

Laurel Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

52.7%

Labor Force Participation

49.3%

Employment Rate

6.3%

Unemployment Rate

Laurel Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Laurel Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Laurel Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

78.63%

Born in Laurel

96.75%

Native Born

3.25%

Foreign Born

2.73%

Non Citizen

0.52%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

96.75% of Laurel residents were born in the United States, with 78.63% having been born in Mississippi. 2.73% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.

Laurel Place of Birth

Note: data after 2022 is projected based on recent change

31 Rows

Year
Population
Growth
Change
202916,637-57-0.34%
202816,694-57-0.34%
202716,751-57-0.34%
202616,808-57-0.34%
202516,865-57-0.34%
202416,922-57-0.34%
202316,979-54-0.32%
202217,033-84-0.49%
202117,117-33-0.19%
202017,150-1,212-6.6%
201918,362-98-0.53%
201818,460-9-0.05%
201718,469-116-0.62%
201618,585-80-0.43%
201518,665-21-0.11%
201418,686-36-0.19%
201318,722510.27%
201218,6711931.04%
201118,478-42-0.23%
201018,52000%
200018,393-434-2.31%
199018,827-3,070-14.02%
198021,897-2,248-9.31%
197024,145-3,744-13.42%
196027,8892,85111.39%
195025,0384,44021.56%
194020,5982,58114.33%
193018,0174,98038.2%
192013,0374,57254.01%
19108,4655,272165.11%
19003,193-13,444-80.81%

Laurel Population by Year