Laurel, MS
Census place 2839640 · pop 17,679
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
42.3% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
46.7% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.55 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
78.7% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
1052 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
3871 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
19.5% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$47,661 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-4.5% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
23.3% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
14.8% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
21.8% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
17.8% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.01% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
63.2% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
87/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
2.9% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$125,800 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
16 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
Not measured for Laurel: Air, Bad air, Rent. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Laurel, MS a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Laurel scores 35/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 19 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is commute time and its weakest is physical inactivity. Mississippi overall ranks #27 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Laurel, MS?
- Laurel reports 1052 violent crimes per 100k and 3871 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Laurel, MS expensive to live in?
- Laurel has a median home value of $125,800 — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Laurel, MS?
- Its weakest measured area is physical inactivity (42.3%) — 1/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Laurel, MS best at?
- Its strongest measured area is commute time (16 min) — 92/100, better than most U.S. cities.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.