Laurens, SC

Census Place

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2024 Population

9,336

US Senator

Lindsey Graham

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Scott

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

42.1

0.237% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

25.4%

15.6% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$49,246

10.8% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$180,700

29.3% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

3,842

2.43% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Laurens, SC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

95.7% of the residents in Laurens, SC are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Laurens, SC was $180,700, and the homeownership rate was 46.4%.

Most people in Laurens, SC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 20.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Laurens, SC was 2 cars per household.

United States South Carolina Laurens County, SC Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC Laurens, Newberry & Union Counties PUMA, SC

Population & Diversity

Laurens, SC is home to a population of 9.34k people, from which 95.7% are citizens. As of 2024, 5.88% of Laurens, SC residents were born outside of the country (549 people).

In 2024, there were 1.35 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (4.74k people) in Laurens, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 3.52k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 385 White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95.7%

2024 Citizenship

95.9%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 95.7% of Laurens, SC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Laurens, SC was 95.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Laurens, SC

White (Non-Hispanic)
4.74k ± 463
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
3.52k ± 496
White (Hispanic)
385 ± 265

8.84%

Hispanic Population

825 people

8.84% of the people in Laurens, SC are hispanic (825 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Laurens, 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

5.88%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

549 people

5.74%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

534 people

As of 2024, 5.88% of Laurens, SC residents (549 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 Laurens, SC was 5.74%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
149 ± 124
Vietnam
138 ± 88
Gulf War (1990s)
46 ± 61

Laurens, SC has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.08 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Health

89.4% of the population of Laurens, SC has health coverage, with 35.1% on employee plans, 28.2% on Medicaid, 17.5% on Medicare, 7.71% on non-group plans, and 0.788% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in South Carolina see 1,485 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,485 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1682 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 437 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.9% were men and 52.1% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.6% under 18 years, 17% between 18 and 34 years, 34.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.9% were men and 52.1% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

10.6%

Uninsured

35.1%

Employer Coverage

28.2%

Medicaid

17.5%

Medicare

7.71%

Non-Group

0.788%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Laurens, SC declined by 8.31% from 11.6% to 10.6%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Laurens, SC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Economy

The economy of Laurens, SC employs 3.84k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Laurens, SC were Health Care & Social Assistance (679 people), Manufacturing (671 people), and Retail Trade (440 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($103,507), Construction ($66,250), and Other Services Except Public Administration ($65,858).

Employment

Occupations

3.84k

2024 Value

± 593

2.43%

1 Year growth

± 21%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Laurens, SC grew at a rate of 2.43%, from 3.75k employees to 3.84k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Laurens, SC, are Healthcare Support Occupations (451 people), Production Occupations (424 people), and Installation, Maintenance, & Repair Occupations (405 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Laurens, 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

3.84k

2024 Value

± 593

2.43%

1 Year growth

± 21%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Laurens, SC grew at a rate of 2.43%, from 3.75k employees to 3.84k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Laurens, SC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (679 people), Manufacturing (671 people), and Retail Trade (440 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Laurens, SC, though some of these residents may live in Laurens, SC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$46,832

Median earning men ± $8,923

$33,517

Median earning women ± $3,686

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Construction ($66,453), Other Services Except Public Administration ($66,155), and Manufacturing ($48,750).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($49,398), Manufacturing ($46,223), and Public Administration ($39,647).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.54%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.26M people employed in South Carolina. This represents a 2.54% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 13.4%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in South Carolina.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in South Carolina went to Donald J. Trump with 58.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (40.4%), followed by Other (0.595%).

Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott are the senators currently representing the state of South Carolina. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

South Carolina is currently represented by 7 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Laurens, SC. Showing the available data for South Carolina.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (58.2%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (40.4%)
Democratic Party
Other (0.595%)
Other Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in South Carolina went to Donald J. Trump with 58.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (40.4%), followed by Other (0.595%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in South Carolina for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from South Carolina

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.

Lindsey Graham

Senator from South Carolina

Assumed office on January 3, 2003

Tim Scott

Senator from South Carolina

Assumed office on January 2, 2013
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Jim DeMint.

Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott are the senators currently representing South Carolina.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in South Carolina over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Laurens, SC was $180,700 in 2024, which is 0.543 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $139,800 to $180,700, a 29.3% increase. The homeownership rate in Laurens, SC is 46.4%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Laurens, SC have an average commute time of 20.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Laurens, SC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$180,700

Median Property Value 2024

±$35,710

$1,823

Median Property Taxes

±$347

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 Laurens, SC the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

Rent vs Own

46.4%

Homeownership

2024

59.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 46.4% of the housing units in Laurens, SC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 45.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Laurens, 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.

$49,246

Median Household Income

± $13,089

3.93k

Number of Households

± 583

In 2024, the median household income of the 3.93k households in Laurens, SC declined from $49,246 from the previous year's value of $55,207.

The following chart displays the households in Laurens, 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 Laurens, 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 (77.9%)
Carpooled (16.3%)
Worked At Home (5.26%)

In 2024, 77.9% of workers in Laurens, SC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (16.3%) and those who worked at home (5.26%).

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

20.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Laurens, SC have a shorter commute time (20.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.343% of the workforce in Laurens, SC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

25.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Laurens, SC (2.28k out of 8.98k 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 6 - 11, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Males 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Laurens, SC is Black, followed by White and Two Or More.

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.