Laurel, MS Micro Area
The Laurel, MS micro area is made up of 2 counties in Mississippi: Jones and Jasper. About 82,281 people lived there on July 1, 2025 (Census estimate), 1.6% fewer than in April 2020.
- Population, July 2025
- 82,281 1.6% fewer than in April 2020
- Type
- Micropolitan statistical area
- Counties
- 2: 1 central, 1 outlying
- Land area
- 1,371 sq mi (3,551 km²)
- Time zone
- Central TimeUTC-06:00 in January; UTC-05:00 in July
- State
- Mississippi
- Combined statistical area
- Hattiesburg-Laurel, MS
- CBSA code
- 29860
Counties in the Laurel, MS micro area, largest first
| County | Role | Population, July 2025 | Share of the area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jones County | Central | 66,496 | 80.8% |
| Jasper County | Outlying | 15,785 | 19.2% |
A central county holds the area’s core, an urban area of 10,000 to 49,999 people. An outlying county is in the area because of commuting: at least a quarter of its workers have jobs in the central county, or at least a quarter of the people working there live in them. A county belongs to one metro or micro area at most, and it counts whole, countryside included.
Principal city
- Laurel17,679 people
OMB names the area after its largest principal cities. A principal city is the area’s largest city, plus any other city that is very large or a big job center, and smaller ones with at least as many jobs as working residents (2020 Census and commuting figures). People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Part of the Hattiesburg-Laurel, MS combined statistical area
OMB joins neighboring metro and micro areas into a combined statistical area when enough people commute between them. The other area in this one is
- Hattiesburg, MS Metro Area158,014 people
Bordering metro and micro areas, nearest first
Areas with a county on this area’s edge. Distances are straight lines between the areas’ largest cities.
- Hattiesburg, MS Metro Area28 mi south
- Meridian, MS Micro Area55 mi northeast
- Jackson, MS Metro Area76 mi northwest
Before using this answer on a form
A metro or micro area is a statistical area that OMB draws for federal statistics. It is not a city, a local government or a mailing address, and it is not a measure of urban and rural: whole counties count, rural parts included. Programs that use metro areas, such as housing income limits or wage rates, can use their own version of these lists; check the program’s own list for an address.
Find the metro area where you are now, find your county, or see every metro and micro area by population.