Laurel is a town in Laurel Township, Franklin County,

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, United States. The population was 512 at the 2010 census.

History

Laurel was

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bear ...

ted in 1836 by James Conwell, a native of

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. Conwell had first intended to name his settlement New Baltimore, but instead decided to call it Laurel, after the city of

Laurel, Maryland Laurel is a city in Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington and Baltimore on the banks of the Patuxent River. While the city limits are entirely in northern Prince George's County, outlying developments extend into Anne Arunde ...

. The last wild

passenger pigeon The passenger pigeon or wild pigeon (''Ectopistes migratorius'') is an extinct species of pigeon that was endemic to North America. Its common name is derived from the French word ''passager'', meaning "passing by", due to the migratory habits ...

, once the most common bird in North America, was shot near Laurel in 1902. The Laurel post office was established in 1837.

Geography

Laurel is located at (39.500936, -85.186895). According to the 2010 census, Laurel has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 512 people, 196 households, and 134 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 227 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.4%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.2%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.6% Native American, 0.2% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.6% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 2.5% of the population. There were 196 households, of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.3% were married couples living together, 18.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 10.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.6% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% 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 3.08. The median age in the town was 34.8 years. 27% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.9% were from 25 to 44; 21% were from 45 to 64; and 13.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 51.0% male and 49.0% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 579 people, 201 households, and 155 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 220 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.96%

, 0.17% from

, and 0.86% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.21% of the population. There were 201 households, out of which 41.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.4% were non-families. 17.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.21. In the town, the population was spread out, with 31.4% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 104.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.5 males. The median income for a household in the town was $29,375, and the median income for a family was $33,625. Males had a median income of $28,846 versus $20,625 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $12,035. About 11.6% of families and 13.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 11.5% of those under age 18 and 22.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Laurel has a public library, a branch of the Franklin County Public Library District.

Notable people

* James Emmert, Indiana Attorney General and Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court

References

{{Authority control Towns in Franklin County, Indiana