Population 14,308 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Laurel: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Laurel
Household size in Laurel
| Period | Laurel | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.55 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.76 | 2.68 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.74 | 2.62 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.61 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.06 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
At 2.61 people per household, Laurel sits close to the national average of 2.65. Household size has crept up from 2.55 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the southeast.
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
| Period | Laurel | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.3 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.0 | 40.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.0 | 41.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.2 | 43.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.9 | +3.6 | +2.3 |
At 41.2, the median age in Laurel is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The population here is younger than in Delaware overall, where the median age is 43.0. The median age has climbed from 37.3 in 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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
| Period | Laurel | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.9% | 12.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.4% | 12.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 17.4% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 19.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +5.9 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in five households in Laurel (19.8%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 5.9 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Laurel has the highest share of single-parent households of any Delaware city with 5,000+ people.
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
Renters in Laurel
| Period | Laurel | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.8% | 26.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.5% | 28.4% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.2% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 34.0% | 27.0% | 34.8% |
| Change | +8.2 pts | +0.6 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Laurel is about as common as it is nationally: 34.0% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in Delaware overall (27.0%). Among homeowners, 47.3% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 8.2 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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
| Period | Laurel | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.0% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.2% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.9% | 11.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.7% | 9.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −5.3 pts | −3.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Laurel: 6.7% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Vacancy is down 5.3 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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
| Period | Laurel | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1980 | 1979 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1981 | 1980 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1984 | 1982 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1985 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Laurel is a little younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1985, against 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1980 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the center.
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
| Period | Laurel | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $643 | $1,037 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $855 | $1,109 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $882 | $1,228 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,073 | $1,514 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$430 | +$477 | +$606 |
Rent in Laurel runs $1,073 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $430 a month from 2006–10, a 67% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 31.7% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Laurel has the lowest rents of any Delaware city with 5,000+ people.
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
Bachelor's degrees in Laurel
| Period | Laurel | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.5% | 27.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.0% | 29.2% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.7% | 31.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.2% | 35.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | +8.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Laurel have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 14.2%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has edged up 0.8 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Only one other Delaware city with 5,000+ people has a lower share of college graduates.
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
| Period | Laurel | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.5% | 87.2% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 82.0% | 88.1% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 82.9% | 90.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.2% | 91.5% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.7 pts | +4.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Laurel never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 86.2% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma is up 3.7 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Laurel has a lower share of high school graduates than the great majority of Delaware cities.
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
| Period | Laurel | Delaware | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 7.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.8% | 8.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.9% | 5.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.7% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Laurel runs well above the national rate: 7.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Of the 37 Delaware cities with 5,000+ people, only two have higher unemployment. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
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 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 | 2.61 | 41.2 | 19.8% | 34.0% | 6.7% | 1985 | $1,073 | 14.2% | 86.2% | 7.7% |
| Lake Pines | 2.84 | 43.2 | 6.2% | 15.6% | 5.8% | 1997 | $1,187 | 22.1% | 91.8% | 2.1% |
| Bethel | 2.73 | 43.7 | 0.9% | 5.9% | 11.2% | 1988 | $898 | 16.4% | 88.7% | 0.6% |
| Portsville | 2.41 | 45.7 | 3.5% | 20.9% | 11.5% | 1995 | $916 | 11.4% | 93.7% | 0.7% |
| Sycamore | 2.65 | 45.3 | 5.8% | 22.9% | 4.3% | 2001 | $1,755 | 28.4% | 90.8% | 0.8% |
| Delmar | 2.99 | 45.4 | 10.1% | 15.4% | 9.2% | 1993 | $1,112 | 19.0% | 87.3% | 6.0% |
| Blades | 2.80 | 41.1 | 12.5% | 19.3% | 6.8% | 1986 | $1,088 | 12.3% | 88.5% | 7.5% |
| Seaford | 2.57 | 42.3 | 13.8% | 28.9% | 7.7% | 1987 | $1,160 | 19.0% | 84.3% | 9.4% |
| Woodland | 2.59 | 43.4 | 2.1% | 6.9% | 9.6% | 1995 | $1,451 | 16.4% | 94.9% | 0.3% |
| Concord | 3.19 | 33.7 | 8.4% | 11.8% | 3.3% | 1998 | $881 | 19.3% | 94.4% | 10.8% |
| Hardscrabble | 2.88 | 38.6 | 14.8% | 20.6% | 8.1% | 2000 | $1,121 | 17.1% | 85.6% | 4.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Maiden, NC · Ridge, NY · Moberly, MO · Minooka, IL · Milford, PA · Milford, NH · Mccalla, AL · Mastic Beach, NY · Marumsco, VA · Martin, TN
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. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.