Population 5,588 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Laurel Bay
Household size in Laurel Bay
| Period | Laurel Bay | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.86 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.13 | 2.59 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.02 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.84 | 2.50 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.02 | −0.04 | −0.03 |
Households in Laurel Bay average 2.84 people, above the national 2.65, so families with children are more common here. Households are largest in the southeast and smallest in the center. Of the 172 South Carolina cities with 5,000+ people, only six have larger households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Laurel Bay
| Period | Laurel Bay | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.7 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 25.1 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 27.9 | 40.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 27.2 | 41.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.5 | +2.9 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 27.2, Laurel Bay is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults in their twenties. Since 2006–10, the median age has edged down from 27.7, even as the national median rose. Only one other South Carolina city with 5,000+ people is younger.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Laurel Bay
| Period | Laurel Bay | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.0% | 13.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.5% | 13.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.1% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 18.8% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +7.8 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Laurel Bay: 18.8% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share is up 7.8 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Only 16 of the 172 South Carolina cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of single-parent households.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Laurel Bay
Renters in Laurel Bay
| Period | Laurel Bay | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 75.2% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 77.8% | 31.4% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 69.0% | 30.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 66.8% | 28.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −8.3 pts | −2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Laurel Bay: 66.8% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Nearly four in ten owners (37.4%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. The renter share has fallen 8.3 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose. Only one other South Carolina city with 5,000+ people has a higher share of renters.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Laurel Bay
| Period | Laurel Bay | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.0% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.2% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.0% | 13.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.2% | 11.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +3.3 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Laurel Bay is close to the national rate: 10.2% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. The rate is lower than in South Carolina as a whole (11.8%). Vacancy has risen 3.3 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Laurel Bay
| Period | Laurel Bay | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1982 | 1984 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1979 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1984 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1986 | 1991 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Laurel Bay are newer than the national norm: the median home was built in 1986, versus 1980 across the U.S. Even so, homes here are older than in South Carolina as a whole, where the median home dates to 1991. The median year built has moved up from 1982 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southeast, while the northwest has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Laurel Bay
| Period | Laurel Bay | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,062 | $780 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,016 | $859 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,222 | $984 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,421 | $1,294 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$359 | +$514 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Laurel Bay costs $1,421 a month with utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are higher than in South Carolina as a whole ($1,294). Rents are up $359 a month from 2006–10, a 34% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 35.9% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Laurel Bay
Bachelor's degrees in Laurel Bay
| Period | Laurel Bay | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.6% | 25.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.4% | 26.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.9% | 28.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.9% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +12.3 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Laurel Bay have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 23.9%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 12.3 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the center.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Laurel Bay
| Period | Laurel Bay | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 92.7% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.0% | 85.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.2% | 87.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.9% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | +6.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Laurel Bay have finished high school (91.9%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has edged down 0.8 points, even as the national rate rose.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Laurel Bay
| Period | Laurel Bay | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.2% | 9.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 14.2% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.2% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.5% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −9.6 pts | −4.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Laurel Bay has been low: just 1.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Only nine of the 172 South Carolina cities with 5,000+ people have lower unemployment. Unemployment has fallen 9.6 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Laurel Bay compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel Bay | 2.84 | 27.2 | 18.8% | 66.8% | 10.2% | 1986 | $1,421 | 23.9% | 91.9% | 1.5% |
| Burton | 2.49 | 37.1 | 10.9% | 45.6% | 8.3% | 1999 | $1,353 | 26.2% | 90.6% | 1.4% |
| Nevadun | 2.60 | 47.1 | 3.9% | 3.4% | 5.2% | 2003 | $1,322 | 31.9% | 97.6% | 3.1% |
| Beaufort | 2.33 | 36.2 | 14.2% | 35.8% | 17.0% | 1988 | $1,399 | 33.4% | 94.1% | 3.1% |
| Seabrook | 2.21 | 55.3 | 9.3% | 17.6% | 17.3% | 2001 | $1,417 | 21.4% | 91.3% | 2.2% |
| Coosaw | 1.94 | 62.2 | 4.1% | 8.8% | 22.0% | 2000 | $1,653 | 43.8% | 98.8% | 1.5% |
| Sheldon | 2.13 | 58.0 | 4.2% | 9.1% | 16.7% | 2001 | $1,554 | 37.1% | 97.4% | 1.6% |
| Old House | 2.98 | 46.1 | 2.1% | 3.1% | 5.1% | 2001 | $1,452 | 21.7% | 96.9% | 14.9% |
| Port Royal | 3.44 | 30.3 | 8.0% | 52.5% | 7.2% | 2001 | $2,028 | 42.3% | 96.0% | 1.7% |
| Lobeco | 1.99 | 62.0 | 4.1% | 10.5% | 21.0% | 2000 | $1,653 | 38.2% | 97.2% | 2.2% |
| Ladys Island | 2.42 | 43.1 | 8.6% | 14.9% | 3.2% | 2001 | $1,761 | 46.0% | 94.8% | 0.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Glendive, MT · St. Anthony, ID · Gateway, AK · Springhill, LA · Spring Valley, IL · Spring Arbor, MI · Spooner, WI · Germantown Hills, IL · Gibbstown, NJ · Gillsville, GA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Laurel Bay. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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