Town · Indiana
Laurel, Indiana
Laurel, town, in Franklin County, Indiana. Laurel had 414 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 1.2% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 406 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 444 (±166). GEOID 1842372.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
414
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 406 · ACS 2020-2024: 444 ±166
Median household income
$27,692
±$11,459 (90% margin)
Indiana: $71,957
Median home value
$72,900
±$8,653 (90% margin)
Indiana: $218,200
Median gross rent
$956
±$71 (90% margin)
Indiana: $1,062
Where is Laurel and what county is it in?
Laurel is a town in Franklin County, Indiana. It covers 0.2 square miles of land, 1,706 residents per square mile in 2020.
Laurel is in the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 15 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Laurel lies entirely within Laurel Township, a township with its own local government (2020 census blocks).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Laurel, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 414 people lived in Laurel on July 1, 2025, up 1.2% since 2020, slower than Indiana (+2.8%). The 2020 Census counted 406 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 444 (±166).
| Measure | Laurel | Franklin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 444 ±166 | 23,020 | −350 |
| Households | 192 ±77 | 9,211 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.31 ±0.42 | 2.48 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 218 ±79 | 9,796 | no clear change |
Laurel's population since 2000
From 579 in 2000 to 414 in 2025: down 28.5%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Laurel as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Laurel?
The median resident of Laurel is 36.7 years old; 25.7% are under 18 and 18.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 94.8%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 5.2%.
| Measure | Laurel | Franklin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.7 ±14.6 | 42.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 25.7% ±8.1 pts | 22.0% | – |
| 65 years and over | 18.0% ±9.2 pts | 20.3% | – |
| Male | 45.5% ±7.9 pts | 49.9% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0% ±8.1 pts | 1.2% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 94.8% ±5.9 pts | 95.7% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.1 pts | 0.9% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 5.2% ±5.9 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.1 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±8.1 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.0% ±8.4 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.7% ±4.4 pts | 9.0% | – |
| With a disability | 18.7% ±8.3 pts | 13.3% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 11.3% ±8.4 pts | 6.7% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 72.5% ±12.6 pts | 90.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 2.9% ±3.3 pts | 19.5% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 2.3% ±3.2 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 87.2% ±12.5 pts | 91.7% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±8.2 pts | 1.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Laurel earn?
Half of Laurel's 192 households earn less than $27,692 a year (±$11,459), against $78,074 in Franklin County and $71,957 in Indiana. In 2015-2019 it was $36,344 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 35.4% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Laurel | Franklin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $27,692 ±$11,459 | $78,074 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $46,496 ±$12,054 | $97,859 | – |
| Per capita income | $21,369 ±$6,187 | $40,060 | +$7,429 |
| People below the poverty line | 35.4% ±13.8 pts | 6.9% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 55.3% ±23.7 pts | 6.0% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 32.8% ±15.6 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 77.1% ±13.6 pts | 90.8% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 72.4% ±12.4 pts | 83.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Laurel?
Owners occupy 68.8% of Laurel's occupied homes and renters 31.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $72,900 by its owner (±$8,653). The median renter pays $956 a month including utilities, and 63.5% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Laurel | Franklin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $72,900 ±$8,653 | $249,500 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $956 ±$71 | $870 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 63.5% ±31.8 pts | 33.9% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $910 ±$240 | $1,548 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 68.8% ±15.2 pts | 81.5% | +19.7 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 31.3% ±15.2 pts | 18.5% | – |
| Housing units | 218 ±79 | 9,796 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±24.4 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 8.6% ±12.1 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 80.3% ±7.8 pts | 80.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 6.0% ±4.9 pts | 12.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±15.7 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±15.7 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 37.2% ±13.5 pts | 14.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 15.6% ±8.8 pts | 6.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Laurel work and get to work?
80.6% of Laurel's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 30.4 minutes.
| Measure | Laurel | Franklin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 50.4% ±10.7 pts | 62.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 6.2% ±5.3 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 80.6% ±16.0 pts | 78.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 2.5% ±3.5 pts | 9.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±20.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 13.8% ±15.3 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Worked from home | 3.1% ±3.2 pts | 9.3% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 30.4 min ±11.1 | 36.0 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Laurel?
No census tract lies mostly in Laurel; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9699Franklin County | 3,454 | $56,765 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Laurel) · Census block assignment files
How does Laurel compare with other places in Indiana?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Laurel is the 13,981st-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 437th-most populous of 566 in Indiana.
Laurel is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 437th | 566 |
Laurel's figures with every place in Indiana (CSV)
Every place in Indiana, sortable · Compare Laurel with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Laurel?
23 of the 57 figures for Laurel on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Laurel are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Laurel.