Population 18,229 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Laurens
Household size in Laurens
| Period | Laurens | Greenville area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.45 | 2.51 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.47 | 2.58 | 2.59 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.45 | 2.57 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.54 | 2.50 | 2.50 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.09 | −0.01 | −0.04 | −0.03 |
The average household in Laurens has 2.54 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.45, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the east and smallest in the west.
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 Laurens
| Period | Laurens | Greenville area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.4 | 38.1 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.1 | 39.0 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.0 | 39.6 | 40.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.4 | 39.7 | 41.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.0 | +1.6 | +2.9 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Laurens are younger than 41.4 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The population here is older than in the Greenville area as a whole, where the median age is 39.7. The median age has climbed from 37.4 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Laurens
| Period | Laurens | Greenville area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.3% | 11.5% | 13.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.5% | 11.6% | 13.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 17.2% | 10.4% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.8% | 10.7% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.5 pts | −0.8 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in seven households in Laurens (14.8%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 3.5 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Laurens
Renters in Laurens
| Period | Laurens | Greenville area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.2% | 30.0% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 36.1% | 31.5% | 31.4% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 40.4% | 31.4% | 30.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 40.3% | 29.3% | 28.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | −0.7 pts | −2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
About four in ten households in Laurens rent their homes (40.3%), a bit above the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 48.2% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the east and least common in the southwest. The renter share is up 4.1 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Laurens
| Period | Laurens | Greenville area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.4% | 12.2% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.9% | 12.0% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.4% | 10.8% | 13.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.5% | 9.6% | 11.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.9 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Laurens: 12.5% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy has fallen 3.9 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Laurens
| Period | Laurens | Greenville area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1974 | 1982 | 1984 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1974 | 1984 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1985 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1989 | 1991 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +7 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Laurens are the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1980. Homes here are older than in the wider Greenville area, where the median home dates to 1989. The median year built has moved up from 1974 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the center 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 Laurens
| Period | Laurens | Greenville area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $597 | $733 | $780 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $710 | $816 | $859 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $747 | $939 | $984 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $807 | $1,216 | $1,294 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$210 | +$483 | +$514 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Laurens costs $807 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $210 a month from 2006–10, a 35% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 30.5% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the south; the most affordable are in the west.
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 Laurens
Bachelor's degrees in Laurens
| Period | Laurens | Greenville area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.4% | 26.8% | 25.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.9% | 27.6% | 26.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.4% | 30.8% | 28.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.7% | 35.6% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | +8.8 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Laurens: 13.7% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has fallen 2.6 points, even as the national share rose. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the east.
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 Laurens
| Period | Laurens | Greenville area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 73.7% | 82.9% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 79.5% | 84.9% | 85.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 79.7% | 86.7% | 87.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 79.2% | 89.5% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.5 pts | +6.6 pts | +6.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in five adults in Laurens never finished high school, well above the national share: only 79.2% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 5.5 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Of the 172 South Carolina cities with 5,000+ people, only four have a lower share of high school graduates.
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 Laurens
| Period | Laurens | Greenville area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.9% | 8.8% | 9.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.7% | 9.5% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.8% | 5.0% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.6% | 4.6% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.3 pts | −4.2 pts | −4.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Laurens runs below the national rate: 3.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 6.3 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Laurens 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laurens | 2.54 | 41.4 | 14.8% | 40.3% | 12.5% | 1980 | $807 | 13.7% | 79.2% | 3.6% |
| Wattsville | 2.46 | 41.9 | 7.3% | 19.9% | 21.2% | 1986 | $840 | 14.8% | 81.3% | 3.0% |
| Maddens | 2.78 | 42.1 | 15.4% | 8.1% | 10.4% | 1993 | $633 | 14.6% | 79.3% | 10.0% |
| Goodwins Crossroads | 2.41 | 41.5 | 5.8% | 27.9% | 17.7% | 1984 | $830 | 12.8% | 85.1% | 2.4% |
| Lydia Mills | 2.32 | 43.3 | 20.1% | 33.5% | 24.7% | 1979 | $900 | 19.6% | 82.4% | 7.4% |
| Lanford | 2.48 | 43.7 | 9.2% | 20.9% | 18.1% | 1986 | $931 | 15.2% | 89.5% | 2.9% |
| Clinton | 2.39 | 37.3 | 13.5% | 32.7% | 15.7% | 1976 | $997 | 30.1% | 86.6% | 5.2% |
| Hickory Tavern | 2.96 | 37.0 | 13.5% | 22.6% | 14.4% | 1984 | $865 | 14.0% | 81.5% | 10.8% |
| Gray Court | 2.60 | 42.2 | 11.4% | 19.2% | 11.9% | 1992 | $994 | 16.5% | 84.5% | 3.9% |
| Owings | 2.40 | 50.1 | 8.2% | 16.3% | 11.8% | 1989 | $1,063 | 16.2% | 91.8% | 2.2% |
| Enoree | 2.42 | 46.7 | 7.1% | 19.5% | 14.6% | 1988 | $889 | 14.3% | 86.4% | 5.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Linda, CA · Red Hill, SC · Randleman, NC · Purcellville, VA · Portsmouth, RI · Parole, MD · Los Fresnos, TX · London, OH · Lindsay, CA · Red Wing, MN
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 Laurens. 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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