Laurel, Maryland Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Laurel, MD Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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B
Income Around average
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A
Education Above average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Laurel | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,209 | 6,204,886 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 5215.7 | 500.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.55% | 0.51% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.4 | 38.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 10,432 | 2,362,551 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Laurel grew by 27.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 25,209 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Laurel is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 26.6% of residents. That is 4.3 points above Maryland as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,271 20.9% +0.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,711 26.6% +4.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,181 20.6% -0.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,186 12.6% -3.9 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Maryland, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 54.6% of the people living in Laurel and men 45.4%.
- Women 54.6% Maryland 51.5%
- Men 45.4% Maryland 48.5%
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100% of everyone living in Laurel
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Economy
Laurel has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Laurel | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $95,945 | $103,916 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.62% | 3.98% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Laurel is about 8% lower than in Maryland.
Housing
| Metric | Laurel | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $383,985 | $267,101 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,810 | $1,704 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 44.2% | 67.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Laurel is about 17.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,810 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Laurel spend about 61 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 252 hours, about 10.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Laurel | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 30.3 | 28.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 60.6 | 56.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 252 | 236 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,826 | $7,301 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 15.8% | 19.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 71,185 | 16,437 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,038 | 2,353 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Laurel is 30 minutes, longer than the 28 minutes in Maryland.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Laurel has a education index of A, which means it is very educated.
| Metric | Laurel | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 40.3% | 39.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.40 | 2.57 | 2.53 |
Health
Laurel has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Laurel | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.8 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.0% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 12.3% | 15.9% | 19.0% |
Laurel, MD Compared With Nearby Cities
How Laurel, MD compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel, MD | 25,209 | $95,945 #2/3 | $383,985 #2/3 | 30.3 min #2/3 |
| North Laurel, MD | 23,968 | $118,897 | $616,908 | 27.5 min |
| South Laurel, MD | 30,999 | $92,261 | $55,000 | 31.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Laurel, Maryland.
What is the population of Laurel, Maryland?
About 25,209 people live in Laurel, Maryland, in 10,432 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 38.4, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Laurel, Maryland urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Laurel, Maryland has 5,216 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 60 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Laurel, Maryland an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 4.0 times the median household income ($383,985 against $95,945), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,810 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Laurel, Maryland?
Unemployment in Laurel, Maryland is only 4.2%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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