Laurel is a city in Jones County, Mississippi, home to about 17,679 people across 16 square miles. Its ZIP code is 39440, and parts of 39443 are in Laurel too.
Homes sold for a median of $111 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Laurel
Part is in Laurel, part in Sharon
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Laurel. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Laurel’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
Are you a local agent who knows Laurel well? Agents who advertise here will be able to write the guide. Advertise on OfferBacked
| Nearest major airport | Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)136 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Hattiesburg Laurel Regional Airport (PIB)21 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | New Orleans, LA124 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Houston, TX395 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Laurel; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Laurel had 17,161 residents in the 2020 census, down 7% since 2000.
It’s the 24th largest of 420 towns in Mississippi by population.
Jones County grew from 17,846 residents in 1900 to 67,246 in 2020.
Jones County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 93°F in summer, and winter lows average 35°F. About 59.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Laurel, MS weather station (2 miles away).
23,634 jobs at 1,306 businesses in Jones County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
419 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Laurel.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 44 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 90 |
| Dentists | 32 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 134 |
| Mental health providers | 78 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 32 |
| Optometrists | 6 |
| Chiropractors | 3 |
| Pharmacies | 20 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (12 nearby)
Grocery stores (5 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 3 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1882.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Jones County School District, Laurel School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Jones ElementaryLaurel | Pre-K–6 | 794 | Public | 4.5 mi |
| Glade ElementaryLaurel | Pre-K–6 | 423 | Public | 3.7 mi |
| Laurel Magnet School Of The ArtsLaurel | Pre-K–6 | 323 | Public | 0.4 mi |
| North Jones Elementary SchoolLaurel | Pre-K–6 | 854 | Public | 4.5 mi |
| Oak Park Elementary SchoolLaurel | Pre-K–1 | 405 | Public | 2.5 mi |
| West Jones Elementary SchoolLaurel | Pre-K–6 | 1,114 | Public | 6.9 mi |
| Nora Davis ElementaryLaurel | 2–4 | 519 | Public | 0.3 mi |
| Laurel Education CenterLaurel | 4–12 | — | Alternative Education | 2.4 mi |
| Laurel Upper ElementaryLaurel | 5–6 | 253 | Public | 2.3 mi |
| Jones Co Career & Technical Education CtrLaurel | 7–12 | — | Career and Technical | 2.9 mi |
| Laurel Middle SchoolLaurel | 7–8 | 388 | Public | 2.3 mi |
| Northeast Jones High SchoolLaurel | 7–13 | 938 | Public | 4.3 mi |
| West Jones High SchoolLaurel | 7–13 | 1,587 | Public | 5.8 mi |
| Laurel High SchoolLaurel | 9–12 | 732 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| Laurel High School Voc ComplexLaurel | 9–12 | — | Career and Technical | 1.0 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel Christian SchoolLaurel | Pre-K–12 | 285 | Calvinist | 1.5 mi |
| St Johns Day SchoolLaurel | Pre-K–6 | 111 | Nonsectarian | 0.9 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
Buying or selling around Laurel? Tell us what you need and when. No agents advertise here yet, so we’ll keep your request for up to 30 days and send it to local agents who join. No obligation, and you choose who to work with.
Loading map…
Shares ZIP codes with Sharon.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.