Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 11,741, settled in 1903. Public schools that outperform most of Florida.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Laurel grades B overall, 66th among Florida's 634 graded towns. The median household earns $92K and its schools rank ahead of 84% of Florida towns. What holds it back is price: homes are expensive, about $479K for a typical one and 5.9 times the North Port metro’s $81K median household income. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 88% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. Johnson Chapel Missionary Baptist Church is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Laurel beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
8,171 counted in 2010 and 12,186 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Laurel is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 8,245 in 1990, 12,186 in 2020. The archive holds 3 maps from 1943 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Laurel. Close and well known come first.
30 mi BeachAnna Maria Island
17 mi MuseumJohn and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
10 mi BeachSiesta Beach
36 mi Park & preserveFort De Soto Park
14 mi Ancient siteWarm Mineral Springs
11 mi State parkMyakka River State ParkAnna Maria Island: Bfpage at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 · John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art: Taty2007, CC BY 3.0 · Siesta Beach: 4net, CC BY 3.0 · Fort De Soto Park: Christopher Hollis, Public domain · Warm Mineral Springs: Blas0082, Public domain · Myakka River State Park: Mx. Granger, CC0
Laurel is unincorporated, so Sarasota County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 17, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Laurel.
Laurel has schools in the top 5% of Florida, has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and has added half again as many jobs in ten years.
12 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The trail density in Laurel is 1.1 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is Oscar Scherer State Park, 242 acres with 1.6 miles of trail.
| Laurel | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 7.3% | 3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Oscar Scherer State Park | 1.6 mi | 242 |
| 2. Laurel Park | 0.2 mi | 20 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its A− ranks #24 of the 638 Florida towns we grade for schools. Its A− for schools comes with a C− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $479K.
Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Academy of Early Education PrivateLargest elementary schoolGrades PK–1 | Grades PK–1 | 97 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
People 65 and older are 47% of residents (21% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 9% of residents (21% statewide). 42% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 34% across Florida.
| Laurel | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 63.7 years | 42.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 10% | 20% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 42% | 31% | 29% |
48.7% women, 51.3% men
About 105 men for every 100 women. Across Florida, 50.9% of residents are women. Median age: women 64.9, men 62.7.
| Laurel | FL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6.4% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 3.9% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.7% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 5% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 6% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.6% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.7% | 13.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 24.3% | 11.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 22.5% | 9.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.3% | 10.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 26.1% | 27.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 20% | 18.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.4% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.2% | 21.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 17% | 12.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Since 1982, 46 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Laurel.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Jobs based here grew from 1,154 in 2013 to 1,934. 23.7% of workers work from home, against 15.7% across Florida.
Most working residents leave Laurel for work: only 6% work in town. 24% of workers work from home in Laurel. Since 2013, Laurel has added 780 jobs, to 1,934 in 2023.
| Laurel | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 24% | 14% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.6% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $92,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Laurel beats the Florida average on 15 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 12% of Laurel adults report frequent mental distress.
| Laurel | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 16% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 85% | 79% | 79% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 37% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 37% | 36% |
| What stands out | Laurel | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 6.3% | 13.9% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 4% | 8.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 16.1% | 9.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Venice weather station records that about 120 days a year reach 90°, more than in 98% of U.S. towns. January nights average 52.5°, milder than in 99% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 92°.
Laurel has warm winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. Laurel’s January low is 53°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Laurel | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 53°F | 51°F | 22°F |
| July high | 92°F | 91°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The median sale price was $500,000 in May 2026.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
1 within 15 miles of the center of Laurel
About 2 of every 100 Laurel residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
Where Laurel’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Census-designated place in Florida, United States
Laurel is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. The population was 12,186 as of the 2020 census, up from 8,171 at the 2010 census. Laurel is part of the North Port–Bradenton–Sarasota, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Laurel.
It grades higher overall than all 3 graded towns on its borders; Osprey (B) comes closest.
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel | #66 | B | C− | — | A− | B+ |
| Osprey | #67 | B | D− | — | A− | A− |
| Nokomis | #92 | B | B− | — | A− | B |
| Venice | #184 | B− | D | — | A− | B+ |
Laurel, Osprey, Nokomis and Venice report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Laurel with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Laurel grades B overall, better than 64% of U.S. towns and #66 of 634 in Florida. It grades B+ for health and A− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $479,000, 28% above the Florida typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
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