Housing data for Laurel Bay, SC
Laurel Bay, SC has an estimated 5,882 residents and 2,103 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is an unincorporated community in Beaufort County.
77.5% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,454 a month.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 5,882 (±1,156)
- Housing units
- 2,103 (±369)
- Households that rent
- 77.5%
- Median gross rent
- $1,454
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −4.0%
What stands out in Laurel Bay
Households that rent: 77.5% (±7.1 points) in Laurel Bay, higher than in Beaufort County (24.1%).
Homes built before 1980: 36.4% (±10.9 points) in Laurel Bay, higher than in Beaufort County (16.5%).
Working from home: 1.0% (±1.1 points) in Laurel Bay, lower than in Beaufort County (13.2%).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 1.5% (±3.8 points) in Laurel Bay, lower than in Beaufort County (17.4%).
- Renters and owners in Laurel Bay
- Age of homes in Laurel Bay
- Commute and cars in Laurel Bay
- Types of homes in Laurel Bay
Housing in Laurel Bay at a glance
- Median rent: $1,454 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $1,199 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 70.3% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 77.5% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $54,345 median household income
- Home values: $231,800 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,505 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $1,430 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 1.5% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 88.3% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Age of homes: 36.4% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 8.3% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 88.6% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 28.0 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: −4.0% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 53.5% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 2.4% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Laurel Bay against Beaufort County, its state and the nation
| Laurel Bay | Beaufort County | South Carolina | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 5,882 (±1,156) | 195,289 (exact) | 5,296,225 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 2,103 (±369) | 103,177 (±109) | 2,443,039 (±311) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 77.5% (±7.1 points) | 24.1% (±1.2 points) | 28.1% (±0.3 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,454 (±$131) | $1,653 (±$70) | $1,180 (±$9) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $54,345 (±$17,949) | $86,573 (±$3,024) | $69,324 (±$570) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $231,800 (±$18,048) | $455,600 (±$10,790) | $259,000 (±$1,421) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $1,430 (±$302) | $2,174 (±$79) | $1,251 (±$7) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 36.4% (±10.9 points) | 16.5% (±1.0 points) | 32.8% (±0.3 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 28.0 minutes (±6.2) | 23.6 minutes (±0.9) | 25.6 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 92.6% (±5.2 points) | 94.0% (±0.8 points) | 88.8% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 23.0 years (±1.1) | 48.1 years (±0.3) | 40.2 years (±0.2) | 38.9 years |
Laurel Bay covers 4.2 square miles of land, about 1,413 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Laurel Bay has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 6,124 (±748) | 5,882 (±1,156) | −4.0% | Not a measurable change |
| Housing units | 2,206 (±227) | 2,103 (±369) | −4.7% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $1,183 (±$69) | $1,454 (±$131) | +22.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $146,100 (±$17,957) | $231,800 (±$18,048) | +58.7% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $47,656 (±$9,451) | $54,345 (±$17,949) | +14.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,265 (±$130) | $1,505 (±$462) | +19.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $947 (±$138) | $1,430 (±$302) | +51.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 70.7% (±6.9 points) | 77.5% (±7.1 points) | +6.8 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.7% (±4.4 points) | 8.3% (±4.9 points) | +2.6 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Beaufort County
Laurel Bay has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Beaufort County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Beaufort County recorded 183 violent and 976 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
Places near Laurel Bay
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burton | 3.6 mi | $1,229 | $247,600 | 39.8% |
| Beaufort | 3.7 mi | $1,212 | $345,400 | 38.5% |
| Shell Point | 6.1 mi | $1,188 | $293,300 | 21.0% |
| Ridgeland | 7.9 mi | $734 | $228,400 | 53.0% |
| Port Royal | 8.8 mi | $1,726 | $347,200 | 61.9% |
| Yemassee | 16 mi | $748 | $161,600 | 37.7% |
| Hardeeville | 19 mi | $1,406 | $488,900 | 23.2% |
| Hilton Head Island | 19 mi | $1,479 | $687,400 | 21.3% |
Places in South Carolina most like Laurel Bay
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parker | $1,099 | $150,400 | $40,043 | 57.4% |
| Pendleton | $1,034 | $250,500 | $61,901 | 47.3% |
| Winnsboro Mills | $986 | $99,100 | $34,708 | 76.4% |
| Camp Croft | $1,082 | $165,000 | $44,219 | 51.0% |
| Arkwright | $981 | $164,100 | $53,519 | 50.2% |
| Burton | $1,229 | $247,600 | $68,063 | 39.8% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across South Carolina.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Laurel Bay, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,772 | $1,844 | $2,010 | $2,395 | $2,880 |
HUD income limits for Laurel Bay, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $23,750 | $39,550 | $63,300 |
| 2 people | $27,150 | $45,200 | $72,350 |
| 3 people | $30,550 | $50,850 | $81,400 |
| 4 people | $33,900 | $56,500 | $90,400 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $61,050 | $97,650 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $65,550 | $104,900 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $70,100 | $112,100 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $74,600 | $119,350 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Beaufort County, SC HUD Metro FMR Area, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $113,000.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Laurel Bay is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for statistics, with no municipal government of its own.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Laurel Bay
What is the average rent in Laurel Bay, SC?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Laurel Bay is $1,454 (±$131) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a two-bedroom apartment in Laurel Bay?
The median gross rent for a two-bedroom home in Laurel Bay, SC is $1,199 (±$121) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Laurel Bay rent-burdened?
70.3% of renting households in Laurel Bay pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Laurel Bay?
Laurel Bay has an estimated 1,509 (±380) renting households, 77.5% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Laurel Bay?
The median household income in Laurel Bay is $54,345 (±$17,949) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Laurel Bay, SC?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $231,800 (±$18,048) for owner-occupied homes in Laurel Bay (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Laurel Bay growing?
In Laurel Bay, the number of residents went from 6,124 in 2015–2019 to 5,882 in 2020–2024 (−4.0%), not a measurable change.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Laurel Bay CDP, South Carolina
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Laurel Bay CDP, South Carolina
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Laurel Bay CDP, South Carolina
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Laurel Bay CDP, South Carolina
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Laurel Bay CDP, South Carolina
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Laurel Bay CDP, South Carolina
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Laurel Bay CDP, South Carolina
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Beaufort County, SC HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Beaufort County, SC HUD Metro FMR Area
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Laurel Bay CDP, South Carolina (place:40525, in state:45).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .