Median Income
$55,658
household / year
Median Home Value
$215,600
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$1,344
gross / month
Cost of Living
96
national avg = 100

Is Laurel Bay, SC a Good Place to Live?

Laurel Bay is a small town of 5,513 in South Carolina, with a median household income of $55,658 and a 2.3% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 96 (US average = 100), which is 4% below the national average.

Strengths: Laurel Bay stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, short average commutes.

Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Laurel Bay is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Laurel Bay city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 95.7

Laurel Bay's overall cost of living index is 95.7, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Laurel Bay costs roughly 4% less than the average American city.

Metric Laurel Bay, SC National Avg
Median Home Value $215,600 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $1,344 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 25.6% 65.9%
Median Household Income $55,658 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Safer than Average

Laurel Bay's violent crime rate is 392.5 per 100,000 residents — 3% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
392.5 /100k
Property Crime
1545.9 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Metric Laurel Bay, SC National Avg
School District N/A —
Elementary Schools N/A —
Middle Schools N/A —
High Schools N/A —
Student/Teacher Ratio N/A 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 17.2% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 90.7% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Laurel Bay sees average highs of 60.3°F in January and 91.8°F in July, with 45.0 inches of annual precipitation .

MetricLaurel Bay, SC
Average High — January60.3°F
Average High — July91.8°F
Annual Precipitation45.0"
Annual SnowfallTrace / None

Demographics

MetricLaurel Bay, SCNational Avg
Population5,513—
Median Age22.938.9
Unemployment Rate2.3%3.7%
Avg Commute Time25.5 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)54.8%59.3%
Black or African American34.5%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino9.1%18.9%
Asian0.0%6.3%
Under 1833.3%22.2%
65 and over4.1%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Burton, SC 4 mi Beaufort, SC 4 mi Seabrook, SC 5 mi Shell Point, SC 6 mi Lobeco, SC 7 mi

Laurel Bay vs Other Cities

Laurel Bay, SC vs Burton, SC Laurel Bay, SC vs Beaufort, SC Laurel Bay, SC vs Seabrook, SC Laurel Bay, SC vs Shell Point, SC Laurel Bay, SC vs Lobeco, SC

Frequently Asked Questions

Laurel Bay's cost of living index is 96, where 100 is the national average. That makes Laurel Bay roughly 4% less expensive than a typical US city — a meaningful affordability advantage. The median home price is $215,600 and median rent is $1,344/month.
Laurel Bay's violent crime rate is 392.5 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 1545.9 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.
Laurel Bay, SC has a population of 5,513, a median household income of $55,658, and an unemployment rate of 2.3%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Laurel Bay averages 60.3°F in January and 91.8°F in July. Annual rainfall is 45.0 inches . Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
The population of Laurel Bay, South Carolina is 5,513 with a median age of 22.9. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Laurel Bay: cost of living index 96 (100 = US average), median home $215,600, median household income $55,658, crime index 91 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Laurel Bay side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.