Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Laurel's standout: natural-hazard risk is low. Overall it grades C−, 226th among Maryland's 259 graded towns. The median household earns $101K and it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 91% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is safety: it reports more crime per resident than 94% of U.S. towns, including 107 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. Laurel’s property crime rate is 39 per 1,000 residents, where Maryland’s towns sit at 13.8 and U.S. towns at 9.9. Laurel's public schools trail 92% of Maryland towns on state tests and graduation. Laurel has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Laurel Railroad Station and Laurel High School.
Where Laurel beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
25,115 counted in 2010 and 30,060 in 2020; an estimated 30,254 in 2025.
Growth has leveled off: within 1% of 2020, after 19.7% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far Laurel is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,148 in 1870, 30,060 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1878 and 8 maps from 1892 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Laurel. Close and well known come first.
Big draw17 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw17 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw19 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw18 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw17 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw13 mi Stadium & arenaNorthwest StadiumWhite House: This image or media was taken or created by Matt H. Wade. To see his entire port, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Washington Monument: Oren Rozen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Arlington National Cemetery: Protoant, Public domain · United States Triumphal Arch: Hstoops, CC0 · Smithsonian Institution: Highsmith, Carol M., 1946-, photographer, Public domain · Northwest Stadium: Maryland GovPics, CC BY 2.0
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 Mar 11, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Laurel.
Laurel fares better on crime within Maryland than nationally, is mostly renters and is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in Maryland.
5.8 miles of trail in 12 parks and preserves. Laurel’s trail density is 1.2 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Riverfront Park, at 31 acres.
| Laurel | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.2 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.5% | 9.5% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Granville Gude Park & Lakehouse | 0.9 mi | 25 |
| 2. Alice B. McCullough Field | 0.3 mi | 8 |
| 3. Riverfront Park | 0.2 mi | 31 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Prince George's County Public Schools. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Laurel High, with 2,129 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotchtown Hills ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 589 | C |
| Laurel HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,129 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
At 62.7 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 82% of Maryland’s graded towns. Property crime runs at 39 per 1,000 residents, about twice the Maryland rate, most of it theft.
The violent crime rate in Laurel is 3.5 per 1,000 residents. Laurel reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 94% report less.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 99% of U.S. communities. Since 2004, 7 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Laurel.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Within Maryland it is less healthy than 58% of the 261 graded towns: Maryland sets a high bar. Against the 8,518 U.S. towns with household incomes like Laurel’s, it is healthier than 50%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
Laurel beats the Maryland average on 8 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 16% of Laurel adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| Laurel | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 20% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 38% | 36% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 14% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 34% | 33% |
| What stands out | Laurel | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.8% | 7.6% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.1% | 5.8% |
| More adults facing housing insecurity | 19.1% | 13.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Laurel has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 25° and about 16 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Laurel for work: only 5% work in town. The top destinations are Washington (16%), Columbia (5%) and Baltimore (4%). Half commute less than 14 miles.
| Laurel | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $101,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 17% | 18% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.6% | 3.1% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Only 44.2% of households own their home, against 67.6% across Maryland.
People 65 and older are 11% of residents (17% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 26% of residents (22% statewide). 48% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Laurel.
| Laurel | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 12% | 16% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 48% | 42% | 29% |
| Median age | 36.3 years | 39.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 21% | 23% | 22% |
54% women, 46% men
About 84 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.1 points). Across Maryland, 51.3% of residents are women. Median age: women 35.5, men 37.3.
| Laurel | MD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.7% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.5% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.7% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 19.6% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 16.5% | 13.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.8% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.7% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.4% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10.7% | 8.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 16.1% | 23.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.5% | 17.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8% | 6.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.6% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 24% | 20.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The typical Laurel home is worth about $469,000, down 0.7% in a year, 10% above the Maryland typical home.
| Laurel | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 44% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,873 a month | $1,809 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
17 within 15 miles of the center of Laurel
About 8 of every 100 Laurel residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Maryland.
3 places in Laurel on the National Register of Historic Places.
19 notable people were born in Laurel.
City in Maryland, United States
Laurel is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. It is located between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore on the banks of the Patuxent River. Formally, Laurel is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area, and its population was 30,060 at the 2020 census. Founded as a mill town in the early 19th century, Laurel expanded local industry, and later became an early commuter town for Washington and Baltimore workers, following the arrival of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1835. Largely residential today, the city maintains a historic district centered on its Main Street.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Laurel.
All 5 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its C−; Konterra (C) is closest. Maryland City next door grades higher for schools (B− to Laurel’s D) and lower for cost of living (D to C).
| Town | MD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel | #226 | C− | C | D | D | B+ |
| Maryland City | #155 | B− | D | — | B− | B+ |
| Konterra | #213 | C | C− | — | D | B+ |
| South Laurel | #208 | C | C− | — | D | B |
| North Laurel | #28 | A | C− | — | A | A |
| West Laurel | #167 | B− | C | — | D | A− |
Maryland City, Konterra, South Laurel, North Laurel and West Laurel report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Laurel with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Laurel grades C− overall, better than 25% of U.S. towns and #226 of 259 in Maryland. It grades B+ for health, D for safety and D for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 3.7 years of the area's median household income ($126,684 across the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
19 notable people were born here, including Roy Horan and Juliette Whittaker.
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