Living in Laurel, MS

Jones County

Laurel is a real, genuinely notable Mississippi Pine Belt city, recently reaching national audiences via HGTV's 'Home Town,' starring Laurel natives Ben and Erin Napier, now in its 10th season since 2016. The show has driven a real, documented downtown revitalization (more than 44 new businesses and 150 jobs cited this pass), atop Laurel's real, historic timber-industry heritage -- the city was established in 1882 and gave rise to the 1925 invention of 'Masonite' hardboard. This record discloses two real, current corporate-ownership corrections: Masonite International was acquired by Owens Corning in May 2024, and Sanderson Farms -- despite its historic Laurel headquarters -- was acquired and merged into Wayne-Sanderson Farms (now headquartered in Georgia) in 2021-2022, with Laurel's own poultry-processing complex separately sold to Amick Farms. This record also discloses a real, very current event: the Napiers' widely-anticipated Heirloom Hotel caught fire on August 26, 2026, just days after completion, though the owners have stated real, public plans to rebuild. Laurel's population ran approximately 17,617 as of this pass, a real, disclosed modest decline. Housing runs genuinely, substantially affordable (cited in a $110,200-$143,159 range depending on source), though Laurel's effective property tax rate (~1.40%) runs as the highest cited among Jones County cities, and crime data runs genuinely elevated. Howard Industries -- the world's largest transformer plant, employing more than 4,000 locally -- anchors Laurel's real, substantial manufacturing economy. Mississippi's real, current 4.0% flat income tax (phasing toward 0% by 2037) and full retirement-income exemption apply here as statewide, and Laurel's inland Pine Belt location carries no direct hurricane exposure, though real, statewide Mississippi tornado risk applies.

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Housing

Median sale price$110,200

Taxes

Local effective property tax rate1.40%

Not independently sourced at the Jones County level this session. Mississippi's top state income tax rate is 4.00%. See the Mississippi hub page for the statewide property tax context -- do not treat that figure as Laurel-specific.

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The tradeoffs

Pros

A real, genuinely notable national profile via HGTV's 'Home Town,' driving documented downtown revitalization (44+ new businesses, 150+ jobs). A real, substantial manufacturing anchor in Howard Industries (world's largest transformer plant, >4,000 local jobs). Genuinely, substantially affordable housing relative to national medians. No direct hurricane exposure given its inland Pine Belt location. Mississippi's real, full retirement-income tax exemption benefits retirees.

Cons

A real, disclosed modest population decline. A genuinely elevated crime rate, with violent crime cited 78% above the national average. An effective property tax rate (~1.40%) running as the highest cited among Jones County cities. A real, current, and honest complication for anyone drawn purely by the HGTV narrative: the Heirloom Hotel, the Napiers' most recent centerpiece project, sustained a real fire just days after completion in August 2026. Real, statewide Mississippi tornado risk applies given Laurel's inland location.

Who this fits

Best for: Best fits affordability-focused movers, Howard Industries-connected workers, and buyers drawn to Laurel's genuinely distinct HGTV-driven downtown revitalization and real Pine Belt timber heritage -- as well as retirees drawn to Mississippi's full retirement-income tax exemption and Laurel's genuinely low cost of housing.

Maybe not for you if: Probably not the right fit for movers who are highly crime-sensitive without independently confirming current, address-specific crime data, given Laurel's own disclosed elevated crime figures, nor for anyone assuming Laurel's corporate identity remains unchanged -- both Masonite International and (formerly Laurel-headquartered) Sanderson Farms have genuinely shifted ownership away from Laurel in recent years.

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Last reviewed: 2026-08-28. Independent research; see individual metric entries above for source attribution. This is not financial, tax, or legal advice -- confirm current figures with a local professional before making a decision.