Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 29,272.
South Laurel's standout: natural-hazard risk is low. Overall it grades C, 208th of 259 graded towns in Maryland. It has 7 miles of trail and 30% conserved land and it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 90% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is schools: its public schools trail 92% of Maryland towns on state tests and graduation. 30% of the land in South Laurel is conserved, above both Maryland’s towns (9.5%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). South Laurel is home to Capitol Technology University.
Where South Laurel beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Montpelier Elementary | PK–5 | 573 |
| Oaklands Elementary | PK–5 | 483 |
| Deerfield Run Elementary | PK–5 | 482 |
26,112 counted in 2010 and 29,602 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far South Laurel is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for hazard risk (better than 99% of comparable towns) to D for schools (better than 8%), so the C overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Montpelier is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 20,479 in 2000, 29,602 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2014 and 8 maps from 1892 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around South Laurel. Close and well known come first.
Big draw15 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw15 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw17 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw15 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw17 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw11 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 · Smithsonian Institution: Highsmith, Carol M., 1946-, photographer, Public domain · United States Triumphal Arch: Hstoops, CC0 · Northwest Stadium: Maryland GovPics, CC BY 2.0
South Laurel is unincorporated, so Prince George's 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 Mar 11, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in South Laurel.
South Laurel sends many workers across the state line, is mostly renters and is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in Maryland.
Its public schools are run by the Prince George's County Public Schools. One of its 5 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,047 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 98% of U.S. communities. Since 1995, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in South Laurel.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
6.6 miles of trail in 17 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Patuxent Research Refuge, at 566 acres. South Laurel’s trail density is 0.8 miles per square mile, above both the Maryland town median (0.6) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4).
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Baltimore-Washington Parkway | 0.5 mi | 184 |
| 2. Patuxent Research Refuge | 0.3 mi | 566 |
| 3. Patuxent River Park I | — | 234 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
22% of working residents cross a state line to work.
Most working residents leave South Laurel for work: only 2% work in town. South Laurel’s average trip to work is 33 minutes. Jobs based in South Laurel grew to 4,337 in 2023, 777 more than in 2013.
| South Laurel | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $89,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 13% | 18% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
South 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
Within Maryland it is less healthy than 66% of the 261 graded towns: Maryland sets a high bar.
South Laurel beats the Maryland average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 16% of South Laurel adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| South 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) | 22% | 14% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 36% | 35% |
| What stands out | South Laurel | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.1% | 7.6% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.5% | 5.8% |
| More adults facing housing insecurity | 19.8% | 13.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Only 40.7% of households own their home, against 67.6% across Maryland.
People 65 and older are 12% of residents (17% statewide); children under 18 are 27% of residents (22% statewide). The median age in South Laurel is 36.2 years. 40% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 44% across Maryland.
| South Laurel | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 27% | 23% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 12% | 16% | 18% |
| Median age | 36.2 years | 39.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 40% | 42% | 29% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.8 points. Across Maryland, 51.3% of residents are women. Median age: women 35.5, men 37.2.
| South Laurel | MD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 17.1% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.4% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.2% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.1% | 13.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.9% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.5% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.8% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.7% | 8.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.1% | 23.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.4% | 17.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.5% | 6.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.3% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 17% | 20.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
41% of households own their home in South Laurel.
| South Laurel | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 41% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,830 a month | $1,809 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
23 within 15 miles of the center of South Laurel
About 8 of every 100 South Laurel residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Maryland.
29.5% of the town is conserved land, across 17 parks and preserves.
4 places in South Laurel on the National Register of Historic Places.
Census-designated place in Maryland
South Laurel is an unincorporated area and census-designated place (CDP) in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 29,602.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with South Laurel.
| Town | MD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Laurel | #208 | C | C− | — | D | B |
| Maryland City | #155 | B− | D | — | B− | B+ |
| Laurel | #226 | C− | C | D | D | B+ |
| Konterra | #213 | C | C− | — | D | B+ |
South Laurel, Maryland City and Konterra report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare South Laurel with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
South Laurel grades C overall, better than 31% of U.S. towns and #208 of 259 in Maryland. It grades B for health and D for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $458,000, 8% above the Maryland 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−.
.jpg){kind=link}