PlainZIP

Laurel, MS · standard

ZIP Code 39440

Jones County, Mississippi - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

21,305
416/sq mi
$46,947
Median income
$125,400
Median home value
20.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Laurel pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a low-density, mixed-tenure area.

11th pct
household income, US ZIPs
19th pct
home value, US ZIPs
416
people per sq mi
58%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 39440 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 39440 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Laurel, Jones County, Mississippi, with 21,305 residents across 51.2 square miles, a density of 416 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 39440 reports a modest median household income of $46,947 (11% below the Mississippi average), while per-capita income is $29,756. Local economic indicators show a 25.9% poverty rate alongside 5.2% unemployment. Median home value sits at $125,400 (7% below the state average), median rent at $917 a month, and owner-occupancy at 58.3%.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 20.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 33.3, and the average commute is 18 minutes. We also surface 3 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Jones County, so you can benchmark 39440 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 39440

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Laurel, MS

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 39440.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 39440, Laurel, MS · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

21,305

Population

51.2

Area (sq mi)

416

People / sq mi

Chicago

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 39440?

33.3

Median Age

46.6%

Male

53.4%

Female

3.3%

Foreign-Born

White 29.0%
African American 62.1%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian or Alaska Native 1.6%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.0%
Hispanic or Latino 8.3%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$46,947

Median Household Income

-11% vs state

$29,756

Per Capita Income

25.9%

Poverty Rate

5.2%

Unemployment Rate

18.1 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 39440 ranks nationally

Laurel, MS household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$46,947 11th percentile higher than 11% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 54.9%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 20.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

8,755

Total Housing Units

7,475

Occupied Units

1,280

Vacant Units

2.54

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 58.3%
Renter 41.7%

$125,400

Median Home Value

-7% vs state

$917

Median Rent

1970

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+3.0%

YoY Change (2024)

235

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+135%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 39440 have increased 3.0% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +135% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +9.5% 153
2021 +16.4% 178
2022 +21.7% 216
2023 +5.6% 228
2024 +3.0% 235

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 712 business establishments in ZIP 39440, employing approximately 12,854 people with a combined annual payroll of $552,304,000.

712

Businesses

12,854

Employees

$552.3M

Annual Payroll

18

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 173 24.3%
Accommodation and food services 93 13.1%
Health care and social assistance 85 11.9%
Other services (except public administration) 68 9.6%
Finance and insurance 67 9.4%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 45 6.3%
Wholesale trade 38 5.3%
Real estate and rental and leasing 28 3.9%
Construction 21 3.0%
Manufacturing 20 2.8%
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction 18 2.5%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 16 2.3%
Transportation and warehousing 12 1.7%
Information 10 1.4%
Educational services 6 0.8%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 4 0.6%
Utilities 3 0.4%
Management of companies and enterprises 3 0.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 39440 vs 39443 →

ZIP 39440 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 39440 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 39440 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 39440 ranks #4 of 4 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
39443 Laurel, MS 21,939 4.4 mi
39437 Ellisville, MS 12,917 9.0 mi
39477 Sandersville, MS 686 9.5 mi

More ZIP Codes in Jones County

39443 standard
Laurel, MS
Pop: 21,939
39437 standard
Ellisville, MS
Pop: 12,917
39459 standard
Moselle, MS
Pop: 3,677
39480 standard
Soso, MS
Pop: 2,770
39464 standard
Ovett, MS
Pop: 2,482
39477 standard
Sandersville, MS
Pop: 686

Related Areas

Jones County Laurel, MS Mississippi

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 39440 in? ▼
ZIP code 39440 (Laurel) is located in Jones County, Mississippi. Jones County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/jones-ms.
What is the population of ZIP code 39440? ▼
ZIP code 39440 in Laurel, MS has a population of 21,305 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 39440? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 39440 is $46,947, which is 38% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 39440? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 39440 is $125,400, which is 55% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 39440? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 39440 is African American at 62.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 8.3% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 39440? ▼
ZIP code 39440 has 712 business establishments employing approximately 12,854 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 39440? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 39440 are: Retail trade (173), Accommodation and food services (93), Health care and social assistance (85). There are 18 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 39440? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 39440 increased by 3.0% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 135%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 39440? ▼
In ZIP code 39440, 54.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 20.4% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 39440? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 39440 is 18.1 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 39440? ▼
In ZIP code 39440, approximately 58.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 41.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 39440? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 39440 is 25.9% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.