Laurel, Mississippi Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Laurel, Mississippi

City

Lauren Rogers Museum of Art

Flag

City logo

Nickname(s):

"The City Beautiful"

Laurel, Mississippi

Location in the United States

Laurel, Mississippi

Location in Mississippi

Country

1882

Government

• Type

Mayor-Council

Area

• Total

16.54 sq mi (42.83 km²)

• Land

16.24 sq mi (42.05 km²)

• Water

0.30 sq mi (0.78 km²)

Elevation

269 ft (82 m)

Population

(2020)

• Total

17,161

• Density

1,056.97/sq mi (408.10/km²)

Time zone

UTC−6 (CST)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−5 (CDT)

ZIP codes

39440–39443

Area code(s)

601, 769

FIPS code

28-39640

GNIS feature ID

0672321

Laurel is a city in and the second county seat of Jones County, Mississippi, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 17,161. Laurel is northeast of Ellisville, the first county seat, which contains the first county courthouse. It has the second county courthouse, as Jones County has two judicial districts. Laurel is the headquarters of the Jones County Sheriff's Department, which administers in the county. Laurel is the principal city of a micropolitan statistical area named for it. Major employers include Howard Industries, Sanderson Farms, Masonite International, Family Health Center, Howse Implement, Thermo-Kool, and South Central Regional Medical Center. Laurel is home to the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, Mississippi's oldest art museum, established by the family of Lauren Eastman Rogers.

History
Geography
- Climate
Demographics
Education
Media
Infrastructure
Notable people
See also

History

Oak Street, circa 1900

Laurel was founded in 1882 as a lumber town, as the industry harvested yellow pine forests in the region. The city was named for laurel thickets near the original town site.

By the turn of the century, the city became a site of cotton mills, to process and manufacture textiles from the state's commodity crop of cotton. The city population grew markedly during the early 20th century, as rural people were attracted to manufacturing jobs. Mechanization of agriculture reduced the number of farming jobs. The city reached its peak of population in 1960, and has declined about one third since then.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.8 square miles (41 km²), of which 15.4 square miles (40 km²) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km²), or 2.09%, is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Laurel has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1900	3,193	—
1910	8,465	165.1%
1920	13,037	54.0%
1930	18,017	38.2%
1940	20,598	14.3%
1950	25,038	21.6%
1960	27,889	11.4%
1970	24,145	−13.4%
1980	21,897	−9.3%
1990	18,827	−14.0%
2000	18,393	−2.3%
2010	18,540	0.8%
2020	17,161	−7.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

Laurel racial composition as of 2020
Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	4,465	26.02%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	10,642	62.01%
Native American	35	0.2%
Asian	109	0.64%
Pacific Islander	2	0.01%
Other/Mixed	453	2.64%
Hispanic or Latino	1,455	8.48%