Jobs, pay and daily life in Laurens, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Laurens is a city in South Carolina with 9,336 residents. The median household earns $49,246 a year and the median rent is $833 a month, which is 20.3% of the median household income. It is part of the Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC metropolitan area, where BLS counts 434,900 jobs.
How Laurens compares. Among the 80 largest places in South Carolina, Laurens is #66 by population, #79 for college degrees (#1 = most), #6 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #70 for homeownership (#1 = highest). Its county, Laurens County, is #27 of 46 counties for average pay ($51,561).
Laurens has 9,336 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.2% of the population of South Carolina. It covers 10 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 914 people per square mile. The median age is 42.1, 5% older than the state median (42.1 against 40.2).
The median gross rent is $833 a month (rent plus utilities), 29% below the state median ($833 against $1,180). Over a year that is 20.3% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $180,700, which is 3.7 times the median household income ($49,246); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 46.5% of households own their home, 35% below the state average (46.5% against 71.9%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC metropolitan area has 434,900 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $46,580 a year, 9% below the national median ($46,580 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (52,300 jobs, median $44,260); sales and related (43,100 jobs, median $36,400); food preparation and serving related (41,950 jobs, median $29,280). The area is most specialised in production (1.7 times) and architecture and engineering (1.5 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($117,760) and architecture and engineering ($94,310). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Laurens County was 3.6%. 52.8% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Laurens County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 78.0% drive alone, 0.0% use public transit, 0.0% walk, 5.3% work from home. 14.1% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 5% below the state average (14.1% against 14.7%).
13.9% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 57% below the state share (13.9% against 32.1%). 5.9% of residents were born outside the United States, about the same as the state share (5.9% against 5.8%). The poverty rate is 25.4%, 81% above the state rate (25.4% against 14.1%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 81°F (27.4°C), and the coolest is Jan at 41°F (5.1°C). About 1,156 mm (46 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Dec is the wettest month (117 mm) and Oct the driest (80 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Clinton (9 miles, rent 8% higher); Fountain Inn (17 miles, rent 42% higher); Simpsonville (21 miles, rent 70% higher); Greenwood (23 miles, similar rent). Rent differences are against Laurens; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in South Carolina (373) →State guide: South CarolinaCountry guideLaurens CountySouth Carolina rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 373 federal postings open in South Carolina (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in South Carolina →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 12,280 | 1.14 | $27,850 | $22,820 | $34,450 | -11% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 11,960 | 1.45 | $38,520 | $30,270 | $48,880 | -4% |
| Retail Salespersons | 11,830 | 1.09 | $30,840 | $22,780 | $46,160 | -13% |
| Cashiers | 10,250 | 1.19 | $29,080 | $21,910 | $36,860 | -12% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 9,860 | 2.51 | $40,840 | $34,160 | $50,570 | -9% |
| Registered Nurses | 9,730 | 1.03 | $81,400 | $68,530 | $100,630 | -17% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 9,430 | 1.30 | $39,010 | $29,540 | $59,400 | -13% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 9,090 | 1.43 | $19,950 | $15,410 | $46,730 | -43% |
| Office Clerks, General | 8,410 | 1.22 | $36,030 | $20,540 | $54,250 | -20% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 8,190 | 0.68 | $29,800 | $24,860 | $35,400 | -17% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 7,340 | 0.93 | $35,560 | $29,830 | $48,030 | -5% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 6,250 | 1.01 | $31,180 | $23,090 | $39,570 | -15% |
| General and Operations Managers | 5,780 | 0.59 | $106,750 | $57,470 | $222,130 | +1% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 5,240 | 0.91 | $53,080 | $40,190 | $77,070 | -9% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 4,870 | 1.02 | $46,120 | $29,430 | $61,250 | -3% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 4,650 | 1.16 | $63,630 | $44,570 | $101,050 | -8% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 4,610 | 1.08 | $49,500 | $35,710 | $77,680 | -0% |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | 4,430 | 1.28 | $60,840 | $35,000 | $138,460 | -16% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 4,390 | 1.13 | $60,680 | $48,800 | $75,990 | -5% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 4,360 | 1.11 | $35,680 | $24,220 | $44,860 | -5% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 870 | 0.46 | $161,180 | $97,620 | $228,700 | -8% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 900 | 1.47 | $160,900 | $111,050 | $223,690 | -6% |
| Marketing Managers | 720 | 0.65 | $148,480 | $78,160 | $243,140 | -11% |
| Financial Managers | 1,880 | 0.80 | $145,610 | $80,870 | $296,790 | -13% |
| Dentists, General | 540 | 1.54 | $139,940 | $51,850 | $318,010 | -18% |
| Pharmacists | 900 | 0.99 | $135,580 | $73,610 | $164,810 | -4% |
| Industrial Production Managers | 1,510 | 2.20 | $129,490 | $79,990 | $207,600 | +3% |
| Sales Managers | 1,770 | 1.00 | $129,090 | $60,400 | $226,450 | -13% |
| Lawyers | 1,290 | 0.61 | $124,970 | $70,540 | $341,840 | -22% |
| Software Developers | 2,070 | 0.44 | $121,790 | $67,630 | $197,880 | -10% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 1,120 | 1.24 | $119,280 | $81,910 | $145,570 | -10% |
| Construction Managers | 1,120 | 1.05 | $111,700 | $73,900 | $177,800 | -3% |
| General and Operations Managers | 5,780 | 0.59 | $106,750 | $57,470 | $222,130 | +1% |
| Civil Engineers | 1,170 | 1.13 | $102,830 | $65,330 | $160,610 | +2% |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | 590 | 0.74 | $101,890 | $49,160 | $196,770 | -3% |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | 850 | 0.93 | $101,820 | $63,210 | $146,660 | -4% |
| Electrical Engineers | 690 | 1.24 | $101,620 | $73,800 | $165,270 | -16% |
| Mechanical Engineers | 1,800 | 2.17 | $101,570 | $78,820 | $165,710 | -2% |
| Industrial Engineers | 2,670 | 2.61 | $101,300 | $76,590 | $133,360 | -1% |
| Physical Therapists | 940 | 1.26 | $101,020 | $78,390 | $121,620 | -2% |
These figures are for the whole Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $46,580 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.3% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 25.0% |
| Manufacturing | 17.5% |
| Retail trade | 11.4% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 10.6% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 6.5% |
| Other services | 6.3% |
| Construction | 6.1% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.6% |
| Wholesale trade | 3.9% |
| Information | 3.1% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 3.0% |
| Public administration | 2.0% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.0% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Laurens lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laurens County | 68,666 | $2,914 million | $42,436 | 20,195 | 1,049 | $51,561 | -1.5% | 3.6% | 33,345 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 7,000 | 44.1% | $63,659 | 4.22 |
| Health care and social assistance | 1,746 | 11.0% | $52,148 | 0.60 |
| Retail trade | 1,725 | 10.9% | $30,463 | 0.86 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,239 | 7.8% | $18,036 | 0.67 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 915 | 5.8% | $60,774 | 1.07 |
| Administrative and waste services | 794 | 5.0% | $27,325 | 0.67 |
| Construction | 656 | 4.1% | $60,451 | 0.62 |
| Educational services | 465 | 2.9% | $55,733 | 1.11 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 318 | 2.0% | $17,205 | 0.94 |
| Professional and technical services | 293 | 1.8% | $67,570 | 0.21 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 284 | 1.8% | $40,446 | 0.47 |
| Finance and insurance | 274 | 1.7% | $52,661 | 0.33 |
| Information | 82 | 0.5% | $68,571 | 0.22 |
| Real estate and rental | 62 | 0.4% | $46,798 | 0.20 |
| Management of companies | 6 | 0.0% | $96,634 | 0.02 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 78.0% |
| Public transit | 0.0% |
| Walk | 0.0% |
| Work from home | 5.3% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 14.1% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $49,246 |
| Income per person | $28,457 |
| Median gross rent per month | $833 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 20.3% |
| Median home value | $180,700 |
| Homeowners | 46.5% |
| Poverty rate | 25.4% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 93.3 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $46,580 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 6.00%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 42.1 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 81.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 13.9% |
| Born abroad | 5.9% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 52.8% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.1 | 41 | 87 |
| Feb | 7.1 | 45 | 90 |
| Mar | 11.3 | 52 | 103 |
| Apr | 16.4 | 62 | 85 |
| May | 21.3 | 70 | 96 |
| Jun | 25.7 | 78 | 106 |
| Jul | 27.4 | 81 | 107 |
| Aug | 26.8 | 80 | 105 |
| Sep | 23.3 | 74 | 93 |
| Oct | 17.2 | 63 | 80 |
| Nov | 10.9 | 52 | 87 |
| Dec | 7.0 | 45 | 117 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton | SC | 9 mi | 7,676 | $44,522 | $899 |
| Fountain Inn | SC | 17 mi | 12,020 | $73,585 | $1,184 |
| Simpsonville | SC | 21 mi | 26,144 | $82,457 | $1,415 |
| Greenwood | SC | 23 mi | 22,536 | $41,150 | $839 |
| Five Forks | SC | 24 mi | 18,656 | $141,786 | $2,178 |
| Mauldin | SC | 25 mi | 27,055 | $82,331 | $1,490 |
| Union | SC | 27 mi | 8,079 | $31,914 | $832 |
| Newberry | SC | 29 mi | 10,790 | $51,260 | $831 |
| Gantt | SC | 29 mi | 15,401 | $47,316 | $1,062 |
| Greenville | SC | 30 mi | 72,935 | $71,472 | $1,312 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
9,336 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$833 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 20.3% of the median household income.
$49,246 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.6% (BLS county, Laurens County (latest month 2026M09)).
South Carolina. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.