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Buying a home in Laurel, Maryland

The typical owner-occupied home in Laurel is worth about $385,500, 8% below the Maryland median of $419,900 and 16% above the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $4,549 a year in property taxes, about 1.18% of their home's value, higher than the Maryland rate of 0.97%. The median household earns $100,504 a year, so the median home costs 3.8 times the median income (4.1 times for Maryland). 44% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 79% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Laurel at a glance

Laurel Maryland U.S.
Median home value $385,500 $419,900 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $4,549 $4,093 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.18% 0.97% 0.94%
Median household income $100,504 $103,678 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 44% 68% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 79% 71% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $2,311 $2,347 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 24.0% 20.5% 21.0%
Median rent $1,873 $1,705 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 27.3% 30.8% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1985 1979 1980
Vacant homes 4.9% 7.7% 10.1%
Population 29,798 6,206,011 334,922,499

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 $385,500 with 20% down costs about $2,614 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $3,257, 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 $112,043 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 31% of the median Laurel household income of $100,504; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $346,000.

The median rent here is $1,873 a month, so owning the median home costs about $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$77,100
Loan amount$308,400
Principal and interest$2,075
Property taxes (1.18% a year)$379
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$161
PMI$0
Total per month$2,614

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$13,492
Loan amount$378,518
Principal and interest$2,546
Property taxes (1.18% a year)$379
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$161
FHA mortgage insurance$170
Total per month$3,257

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Questions about home buying in Laurel

What is the median home value in Laurel?

About $385,500 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 $4,549 a year, which is about 1.18% 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 $2,614 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $112,043 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