A small Mississippi metro where manufacturing and pine-belt geography shape the electorate
The Laurel metro, anchored by Jones County, has posted some of Mississippi's wider Republican margins in recent cycles, reflecting a working-class white majority in a historically timber-and-oil economy along the Piney Woods corridor.
| County | Pop. | Margin | Dem | Rep | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jones | 68K | R+46.8 | 7,272 | 20,265 | 27,755 | 19.5% |
| Jones | 67K | R+46.8 | 7,272 | 20,265 | 27,755 | 19.5% |
| Jones | 66K | R+46.8 | 7,272 | 20,265 | 27,755 | 19.5% |
| Jones | 65K | R+46.8 | 7,272 | 20,265 | 27,755 | 19.5% |
| Jasper | 18K | R+5.0 | 3,722 | 4,118 | 7,890 | 5.5% |
| Jasper | 18K | R+5.0 | 3,722 | 4,118 | 7,890 | 5.5% |
| Jasper | 17K | R+5.0 | 3,722 | 4,118 | 7,890 | 5.5% |
| Jasper | 16K | R+5.0 | 3,722 | 4,118 | 7,890 | 5.5% |
| Group | Laurel, MS | National |
|---|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(12) | 62.1% | 57.4% |
▶Black / African American(7) | 32.8% | 12.2% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(9) | 3.6% | 19.3% |
Multiracial / Other | 0.8% | 4.0% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(2) | 0.4% | 0.9% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(2) | 0.4% | 0.9% |
▶Asian(5) | 0.3% | 6.0% |
Catholic-Evangelical edge: -76.8pp (vs national 4.5pp). A strongly Evangelical-leaning religious profile, which nationally correlates with Republican-leaning rural and exurban communities.
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents | US Pop | US Adherents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53.4% | 75.8% | — | — | |
| 8.1% | 11.5% | — | — | |
| 4.7% | 6.6% | — | — | |
| 2.4% | 3.5% | — | — | |
| 1.8% | 2.6% | — | — | |
LDS (Mormon) | 0.6% | 0.8% | — | — |
Non-religiousPopulation | 29.6% | — | — | — |
Who lives in the Laurel, MS metro area? 335,310 residents across 8 counties.
16% of adults hold a bachelor's degree — 17pp below the national average. Places with similar education levels vote R+22 on average nationally.
Scale, voting-age share, and this geography's footprint inside the national electorate.
Income, attainment, and ownership indicators that often shape coalition structure and turnout behavior.
Age structure, language use, and nativity signals that explain how this geography differs from state and nation.
| Offices | Margin A | Margin B | Split |
|---|---|---|---|
| President vs Senate | R+37.6 | R+38.4 | 0.9pp |