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Buying a home in Laurel, Florida

The typical owner-occupied home in Laurel is worth about $478,900, 33% above the Florida median of $359,000 and 44% above the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $3,449 a year in property taxes, about 0.72% of their home's value, lower than the Florida rate of 0.76%. The median household earns $92,340 a year, so the median home costs 5.2 times the median income (4.8 times for Florida). 91% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 42% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Laurel at a glance

Laurel Florida U.S.
Median home value $478,900 $359,000 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $3,449 $2,730 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.72% 0.76% 0.94%
Median household income $92,340 $74,568 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 91% 68% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 42% 56% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $2,705 $1,959 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 26.1% 23.6% 21.0%
Median rent $1,323 $1,669 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 29.1% 35.2% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1983 1988 1980
Vacant homes 18.0% 14.7% 10.1%
Population 11,741 22,416,077 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Laurel

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Laurel home of $478,900 with 20% down costs about $3,064 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $3,862, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $131,321 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 40% of the median Laurel household income of $92,340; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $337,000.

The median rent here is $1,323 a month, so owning the median home costs about $1,741 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$95,780
Loan amount$383,120
Principal and interest$2,577
Property taxes (0.72% a year)$287
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$200
PMI$0
Total per month$3,064

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$16,762
Loan amount$470,226
Principal and interest$3,163
Property taxes (0.72% a year)$287
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$200
FHA mortgage insurance$212
Total per month$3,862

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Questions about home buying in Laurel

What is the median home value in Laurel?

About $478,900 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Laurel?

Homeowners pay a median $3,449 a year, which is about 0.72% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Laurel?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $3,064 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $131,321 a year.

More about Laurel

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data