Laurel Bay, SC

Census Place

2024 Population

5,882

US Senator

Lindsey Graham

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Scott

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

1.29% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

17.5%

2.63% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$54,345

4.32% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$231,800

Population & Diversity

Laurel Bay, SC is home to a population of 5.88k people, from which 100% are citizens.

As of 2024, 0.952% of Laurel Bay, SC residents were born outside of the country (56 people).

In 2024, there were 1.18 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (2.66k people) in Laurel Bay, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.26k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 362 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

100%

2024 Citizenship

99.5%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 100% of Laurel Bay, SC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Laurel Bay, SC was 99.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Laurel Bay, SC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Laurel Bay, SC

White (Non-Hispanic)
2.66k ± 603
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
2.26k ± 994
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
362 ± 283

13.8%

Hispanic Population

814 people

13.8% of the people in Laurel Bay, SC are hispanic (814 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Laurel Bay, SC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for South Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
65,146 ± 6,228 people
India
21,511 ± 3,594 people
Colombia
15,785 ± 3,080 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of South Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 65,146 South Carolina residents, followed by India with 21,511 and Colombia with 15,785.

Foreign-Born Population

0.952%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

56 people

3.41%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

192 people

As of 2024, 0.952% of Laurel Bay, SC residents (56 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Laurel Bay, SC was 3.41%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Laurel Bay, SC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
204 ± 165
Gulf War (1990s)
30 ± 39
Vietnam
28 ± 32

Laurel Bay, SC has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 6.8 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Laurel Bay, SC.

Economy

The economy of Laurel Bay, SC employs 1.59k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Laurel Bay, SC were Health Care & Social Assistance (328 people), Retail Trade (233 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (216 people), and the highest paying industries were Manufacturing ($68,333), Transportation & Warehousing ($52,083), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($52,083).

Employment

Occupations

1.59k

2024 Value

± 409

−1.48%

1 Year decline

± 37.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Laurel Bay, SC declined at a rate of −1.48%, from 1.62k employees to 1.59k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Laurel Bay, SC, are Healthcare Support Occupations (188 people), Sales & Related Occupations (184 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (182 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Laurel Bay, SC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in South Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

1.59k

2024 Value

± 409

−1.48%

1 Year decline

± 37.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Laurel Bay, SC declined at a rate of −1.48%, from 1.62k employees to 1.59k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Laurel Bay, SC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (328 people), Retail Trade (233 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (216 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Laurel Bay, SC, though some of these residents may live in Laurel Bay, SC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$42,379

Median earning men ± $10,622

$30,686

Median earning women ± $3,788

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($70,063), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($56,111), and Retail Trade ($40,481).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($40,206), Manufacturing ($31,179), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($31,148).

Housing & Living

The median property value in Laurel Bay, SC was $231,800 in 2024, which is 0.697 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $221,300 to $231,800, a 4.74% increase. The homeownership rate in Laurel Bay, SC is 22.5%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Laurel Bay, SC have an average commute time of 28 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Laurel Bay, SC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$231,800

Median Property Value 2024

±$18,048

$438

Median Property Taxes

±$147

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Laurel Bay, SC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Laurel Bay, SC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

22.5%

Homeownership

2024

67.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 22.5% of the housing units in Laurel Bay, SC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 24.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Laurel Bay, SC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$54,345

Median Household Income

± $17,949

1.95k

Number of Households

± 411

In 2024, the median household income of the 1.95k households in Laurel Bay, SC grew to $54,345 from the previous year's value of $52,094.

The following chart displays the households in Laurel Bay, SC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $60k - $75k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Laurel Bay, SC is from South Carolina.

0.462

2024 Wage GINI in South Carolina

0.464

2023 Wage GINI in South Carolina

In 2024, the income inequality in South Carolina was 0.462 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.296% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for South Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in South Carolina in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in South Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (88.8%)
Carpooled (8.4%)
Other (1.39%)

In 2024, 88.8% of workers in Laurel Bay, SC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.4%) and those who used some unspecified means to get work (1.39%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

28 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Laurel Bay, SC have a longer commute time (28 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.53% of the workforce in Laurel Bay, SC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Laurel Bay, SC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Laurel Bay, SC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Laurel Bay, SC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

17.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Laurel Bay, SC (1.03k out of 5.88k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Laurel Bay, SC is Black, followed by White and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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