Laurel, Indiana, 2016
Laurel Township’s story
189 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2016.
- 1837Laurel Township is settled
Laurel TownshipIN
7 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Chris Flook · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,423
2025 Census estimate · +1.6% since 2020
Median home value
$136K
Census ACS
Household income
$73K
median
Median age
36.4
years
Jobs based here
77
A commuter town
Is Laurel Township a good place to live?
Laurel Township’s best subject grade is an A+ for cost of living; its weakest is a D for health. Laurel Township’s average trip to work is 41 minutes, against 24 minutes in Indiana’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Only 4 of Indiana’s 1,098 towns score lower on hazard risk. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 74% of U.S. towns. Laurel Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Laurel Township stand out
Where Laurel Township beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A shrinking town
Laurel Township has shrunk 13% since 2010
1,634 counted in 2010 and 1,400 in 2020; an estimated 1,423 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Laurel Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Indiana), ordered by how far Laurel Township is from typical.
Cost of livingTypical home $136K, 1.7 years of the Cincinnati metro’s $81K median household incomeA+Open →HealthMargaret Mary Community Hospital 12.5 miles awayDOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →Jobs & income$73K median household income; 77 jobs based hereC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.4 of 20; 6.3% of households have no car; 3.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →SchoolsB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksC−Open →HistoryBOpen →Civic life3.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Laurel Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Laurel Township, and how to reach them.
PowerDuke Energy15.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLaurel Water Department5 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers95% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Laurel Township’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Indiana you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereFranklin Circuit Court ClerkFranklin County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP codes47024, 4703047024 96% · 47030 4%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Laurel Township.
HealthD
Residents of Laurel Township are less healthy than 90% of U.S. towns
Laurel Township beats the Indiana average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 21% of adults smoke cigarettes in Laurel Township, above both the Indiana town median (17%) and the median of U.S. towns (14%). 44% of adults have obesity in Laurel Township.
10%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Laurel Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 17% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 39% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 21% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Indiana
0 better24 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Laurel Township | IN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 10.9% | 8.1% |
| More smokers | 21% | 15.7% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.2% | 6.8% |
Margaret Mary Community Hospital
12.5 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB+
On state tests, Laurel Township’s schools beat 68% of Indiana districts
Its public schools are run by Franklin County Community School Corp. Its one school is below.
68%of IN districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 245 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IN on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
In Laurel Township, the FEMA risk score runs higher than in the typical Indiana or U.S. town
The FEMA risk score in Laurel Township is 82 of 100. Since 1983, 14 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Laurel Township.
82risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
14
paid flood claims since 1983
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
With 0.1 jobs for every working resident, most of Laurel Township’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Laurel Township for work: only 1% work in town. 15% of Laurel Township residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Batesville (12%), Indianapolis (9%) and Greensburg (8%).
1%work in town
| Laurel Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.3% | 11% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Laurel Township1%
Batesville12%
Indianapolis9%
Greensburg8%
Brookville4%
27 mi
median commute distance
77
jobs based in Laurel Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 26% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Laurel Township
Laurel Township has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 21° and about 18 inches of snow falls in a winter.
18″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter23–40°
Spring42–64°
Summer62–84°
Fall44–66°
Oct 21
typical first frost
Apr 20
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Laurel Township
17pages on Laurel Township
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Laurel Township; the nearest are
Miami University-OxfordUniversity or college · Public · Oxford, OH23.4 mi$18,161 in-state tuitionGateway Community and Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Florence, KY46.1 mi$4,728 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Laurel Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Indiana.
Small town
1,423 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Posey TownshipMetamora TownshipBlooming Grove TownshipSalt Creek TownshipLake ViewColumbia TownshipJackson TownshipLaurel Township
About Laurel Township
Town in Indiana, United States
Laurel is a town in Laurel Township, Franklin County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2020 census, Laurel had a population of 406.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 725 ft
- ZIP code
- 47024
- Area code
- 765
Questions about Laurel Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Laurel Township, IN expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.