Laurel, Mississippi
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| Laurel, Mississippi | |
| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Jones County |
| Incorporated | 1882 |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Melvin Mack (elected as the first African American mayor of Laurel in 2005) |
| Area | |
| - City | 15.8 sq mi (40.8 km²) |
| - Land | 15.4 sq mi (40.0 km²) |
| - Water | 0.3 sq mi (0.9 km²) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - City | 18,393 |
| - Density | 1,191.9/sq mi (460.2/km²) |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) |
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| Website: http://www.laurelms.com/ | |
Laurel is a city located in Jones County in Mississippi, a state of the United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 18,393 although a significant population increase has been reported following Hurricane Katrina. Also, a steady influx of Hispanic immigrant labor over the last few years has been reported. Located in southeast Mississippi, southeast of Jackson on Tallahala Creek, Laurel was founded in 1882. Laurel's major employers include Howard Industries, Sanderson Farms, Masonite Corporation, Family Health Center, Howse Implement, and South Central Regional Medical Center. Laurel is also home to the Cedarwood Recording Studios operated by James Ducker [1]. An American Indian reservation is located in nearby Sandersville. Laurel is home to the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art (Mississippi's oldest art museum).
Laurel is the principal city of the Laurel Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents |
[edit] Geography
Laurel is located at 31°41'51" North, 89°8'22" West (31.697412, -89.139315)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 40.8 km² (15.8 mi²). 40.0 km² (15.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.9 km² (0.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area of Laurel is 2.09% water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 18,393 people, 6,925 households, and 4,542 families residing in the city. The population density was 460.2/km² (1,192.3/mi²). There were 7,804 housing units at an average density of 195.3/km² (505.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 40.64% White, 55.08% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 3.17% from other races, and 0.67% from two or more races. 3.87% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There has been a steady influx of Hispanic migrant labor in the last few years, most of them being employed at Howard Industries, Sanderson Farms and independent labor. Companies in the area tend to recruit foreign workers due to the benefits of the federal government subsidizing their cost for training of those on worker visas. Those on visas also tend to be paid substantially less. There has been some debate in the area of the legal status of the majority of these workers.
There were 6,925 households out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.2% were married couples living together, 23.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.9% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 85.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,988, and the median income for a family was $30,185. Males had a median income of $27,077 versus $17,336 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,561. 28.9% of the population and 21.4% of families were below the poverty line. 37.5% of those under the age of 18 and 19.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
[edit] Education
[edit] Public Schools
- The City of Laurel is served by the Laurel School District. The district has five campuses and a total enrollment of approximately 3,100.
[edit] Private Schools
- Immaculate Conception School
- Laurel Christian High School [2]
- St. John's Day School [3]
[edit] Transportation
Amtrak's Crescent train connects Laurel with the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Charlotte, Atlanta, Birmingham and New Orleans. The Amtrak station is situated at 230 North Maple Street. The Tracker (Patrick Gray Station) is a main form of transportation in Pendorff.
Laurel is home to an infamous S-Curve on Interstate 59. Work began in 2006 to straighten I-59 and do away with the S-Curve.[4] Completion is expected between 2007-2008.
[edit] Famous people
Laurel is the birthplace and/or primary residence of the following celebrities:
- Ralph Boston, Olympic Gold Medalist [5]
- Jason Campbell, Washington Redskins quarterback [6]
- Blanche DuBois, principal (fictional) character in Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire
- Ed Hinton, sportswriter [7]
- Tom Lester, actor (played "Eb" on the sitcom Green Acres) [8][9]
- Charlie Mars (of the Charlie Mars Band) [10]
- Clinton Portis, Washington Redskins running back [11]
- Parker Posey, actress and daughter of local Chevrolet retailer Chris Posey [12]
- Leontyne Price [13]
- Bob Saxton, jazz guitarist [14]
- James Street, journalist, minister, and writer [15]
- Ray Walston, actor (some sources claim he was born in New Orleans, where he spent his childhood) [16]
[edit] External links
- City of Laurel
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
