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Living in
Laurinburg.
About
Life in Laurinburg
Living in Laurinburg means embracing a small-town pace in south-central North Carolina where housing is genuinely affordable—median home values hover around $134,200 and rent averages $774 a month—but you need to be realistic about what that trade-off includes. The job market here is modest; this is a county seat with a median household income of $42,170, and while unemployment sits at a reasonable 5.2%, opportunities aren't abundant, so many residents commute to larger hubs like Fayetteville (about 40 miles away). The city itself is small and walkable at 12.71 square miles with roughly 15,000 people, giving it a genuinely tight-knit community feel where you'll recognize faces, though the demographic split is almost evenly divided between white and Black residents concentrated in different neighborhoods, and the population has been slowly declining.
Laurinburg at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
37.4 yrs
Poverty Rate
31.1%
Foreign-Born
4.1%
Broadband Internet
87.5%
of households
Population Growth
-2.6%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics4.1% foreign-born, most often from China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Who lives in Laurinburg: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Laurinburg, the largest foreign-born group is from China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan (21.4%), and 2.7% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
24.8%
of residents
65 and Older
18.8%
of residents
Households with Kids
33.2%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
32.3%
of households
Married Couples
32.2%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.50
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 37% below NC average
Rent, home values, and income in Laurinburg
In Laurinburg, rent runs 37% below the NC average, and home values are 54% below the NC average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
48.0%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
26.4%
spending 50%+
Median Property Tax
$1,396
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
46.6%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1975
median year built
Vacant Homes
12.0%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $144,534 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment 1.5 pts above NC average
Unemployment in Laurinburg
Unemployment in Scotland County, which includes Laurinburg, is 1.5 percentage points higher than the NC average.
Unemployment rate
Laurinburg: Scotland County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
Scotland County (county-wide) · Annual averages
What Laurinburg Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Commute19.2 min avg
How Laurinburg residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Laurinburg, most residents drive alone to work (78%), and 75% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 36 mi
Fayetteville Regional Airport - Grannis Field (FAY)
Regional airport · few flights168k passengers boarded in 2025
- 85 mi
Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)
Medium hub7.7M passengers boarded in 2025
- 89 mi
Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
Major hub25.9M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 283% above national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in Laurinburg runs 283% above the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
1,261.7
per 100,000 residents
Above average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
4,392.9
per 100,000 residents
Above average (1,552 national, 2025)
Laurinburg Police Department
Natural DisastersThunderstorm Wind most common — 9 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively Low
63.6 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Scotland County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Scotland County, which includes Laurinburg, the most common type is thunderstorm wind, with 9 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9 | Thunderstorm Wind | $45,000 |
| 2024 | 8 | Thunderstorm Wind | $70,000 |
| 2023 | 2 | Thunderstorm Wind | $10,000 |
| 2022 | 9 | Thunderstorm Wind | $1.1M |
| 2021 | 2 | Thunderstorm Wind | $10,000 |
| 2020 | 7 | Thunderstorm Wind | $1.2M |
| 2019 | 5 | Thunderstorm Wind | $525,000 |
| 2018 | 11 | Thunderstorm Wind | $6.4M |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
1 earthquake of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Scotland County, county-wide
Air Quality44 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Chesterfield County, SC (the nearest EPA-monitored county, about 40 miles from Laurinburg) is typically good — 234 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
44
Good Days
234
per year
Moderate Days
130
per year
Unhealthy Days
0
per year
Nearest EPA monitor county: Chesterfield County, SC (40 mi away)
Climate91°F summers, 35°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Laurinburg has hot summers (avg high 91°F) and mild winters (avg low 35°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
76°/51°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
91°/70°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
76°/53°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
58°/35°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
46.6"
Annual Snowfall
1.1"
Hot Days/Year
69
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
57
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
121
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55°F | 33°F | 3.55" |
| Feb | 59°F | 36°F | 3.26" |
| Mar | 67°F | 42°F | 3.42" |
| Apr | 77°F | 50°F | 2.95" |
| May | 84°F | 60°F | 3.50" |
| Jun | 90°F | 68°F | 5.01" |
| Jul | 93°F | 72°F | 4.33" |
| Aug | 91°F | 70°F | 5.08" |
| Sep | 86°F | 65°F | 5.48" |
| Oct | 76°F | 52°F | 3.19" |
| Nov | 66°F | 42°F | 3.24" |
| Dec | 58°F | 36°F | 3.55" |
Healthcare1 hospital, avg 3.0/5
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Laurinburg
Laurinburg has 1 hospital, averaging 3.0 out of 5 on CMS's quality rating.
Hospitals
1
within city limits
Uninsured
9.8%
of residents
Avg Hospital Rating
3.0 / 5
Scotland Memorial Hospital
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education16.3:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Laurinburg
Laurinburg's student/teacher ratio is 16.3:1, close to the national average of 16:1, and 20.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
5
within city limits
Private Schools
2
within city limits
College Degree Rate
20.1%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
16.3:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Parks & Recreationclosest: Moores Creek National Battlefield, 80 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Laurinburg
Laurinburg has 3 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Moores Creek National Battlefield (80 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Moores Creek National Battlefield
National Battlefield
80 mi awayGuilford Courthouse National Military Park
National Military Park
97 mi awayCongaree National Park
National Park
99 mi awayPublic Libraries in Laurinburg
Scotland County Memorial Library
312 W Church St, Laurinburg
Cities Near Laurinburg
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Laurinburg?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Laurinburg FAQ
Is Laurinburg, North Carolina affordable?⌄
Laurinburg's median rent is $774/month, which is below the national average, making it relatively affordable. The median household income is $42,170/year. Median home value is $134,200.
Is Laurinburg, North Carolina safe?⌄
Laurinburg's violent crime rate was 1262 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is significantly above the national average of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 4393 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Laurinburg, North Carolina?⌄
Scotland County, which includes Laurinburg, has an unemployment rate of 5.3%, which is slightly above the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Laurinburg, North Carolina?⌄
The cost of living in Laurinburg is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $774/month and median household income is $42,170/year. The median home value is $134,200. About 48% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Laurinburg, North Carolina?⌄
The average commute in Laurinburg is 19 minutes, which is shorter than average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from