Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Laurel earns a D, 35th among Delaware's 37 graded towns, mostly because of safety and incomes. It reports more crime per resident than 98% of U.S. towns, including 64 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. The median household income is $49K, and 35% of residents live below the poverty line. In its favor, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 94% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 96% of U.S. towns, with 9 places on the National Register. 35% of residents live below the poverty line in Laurel, where Delaware’s towns sit at 8.1% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. On health, just 4 of Delaware’s 54 towns do worse. Its National Register listings include Old Christ Church and Chipman's Mill.
Where Laurel beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Old Christ Church
Census counts: 970 in 1860, 3,865 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1905 and 5 maps from 1915 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Delaware), ordered by how far Laurel is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Laurel, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Laurel.
Laurel is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it reports violent crime at 4 times the Delaware rate and has poverty well above the Delaware rate.
Violent crime runs at 14.1 per 1,000 residents, 4 times the Delaware rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its D−. At 86.6 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 86% of Delaware’s graded towns.
The violent crime rate in Laurel is 14.1 per 1,000 residents. Laurel reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 98% report less. The property crime rate in Laurel is 24.5 per 1,000 residents.
| Laurel | Delaware towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 14.1 per 1,000 residents | 3.5 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 24.5 per 1,000 residents | 17.3 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Laurel School District. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Laurel Senior High School, with 753 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades 1–6 | Grades 1–6 | 1,145 | C− |
| Laurel Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 753 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within DE on state tests and graduation
Against the 5,256 U.S. towns with household incomes like Laurel’s, it is less healthy than 55%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
19% of Laurel adults smoke cigarettes. Laurel beats the Delaware average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 18. 33% of Laurel adults get no exercise outside work.
| Laurel | Delaware towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 14% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 27% | 25% |
| What stands out | Laurel | DE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.1% | 9.1% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 25.6% | 28.4% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 25.6% | 13.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The average commute for its 1,597 working residents takes 33.8 minutes, against 26 across Delaware.
Most working residents leave Laurel for work: only 5% work in town. Laurel’s average trip to work is 34 minutes. Since 2013, Laurel has added 90 jobs, to 1,035 in 2023.
| Laurel | Delaware towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 34 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $49,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Laurel home is worth about $315,000, up 1% in a year, 22% below the Delaware typical home. 40% of households own their home in Laurel. Only 2 of the 35 Delaware towns we compare have a lower median rent than Laurel.
| Laurel | Delaware towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 40% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,056 a month | $1,441 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Laurel has chilly winters and warm summers. Among 37 Delaware towns, just 2 have a higher July high than Laurel.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
0.3 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Only 3 of the 34 Delaware towns we compare have a lower trail density than Laurel.
| Laurel | Delaware towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 7.2% | 16% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tidewater Park | 0.3 mi | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 58% of U.S. communities. Since 1994, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Laurel.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Laurel
About 3 of every 100 Laurel residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Delaware.
Where Laurel’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
7 places in Laurel on the National Register of Historic Places.
11 notable people were born in Laurel.
Town in Delaware, United States
Laurel is a town in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. The population was 3,865 at the time of the 2020 census. Laurel is part of the Salisbury, Maryland-Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. It once hosted the Laurel Blue Hens of the Eastern Shore Baseball League.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Laurel grades D overall, better than 8% of U.S. towns and #35 of 37 in Delaware. It grades C− for health, D− for safety and C for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D−.
That is 3.9 years of the area's median household income ($81,497 across the Seaford, DE area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
11 notable people were born here, including Warren K. Lewis and Mark Briscoe.
