Laurel is a city located in Jones County in Mississippi , a state of the United States of America . As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 18,393 although a significant population increase has been reported following Hurricane Katrina . Located in southeast Mississippi, southeast of Jackson on Tallahala Creek , Laurel was founded in 1882 as a lumber town. An American Indian reservation is located in nearby Sandersville . Laurel is the principal city of the Laurel Micropolitan Statistical Area . Its major employers include Howard Industries , Sanderson Farms, Masonite , Family Health Center, Howse Implement, Thermo-Kool and South Central Regional Medical Center . Laurel is home to the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art .
