Laurel is a city in and the second county seat of Jones County, Mississippi, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 18,548. It is located northeast of Ellisville, the first county seat, which contains the first county courthouse. Laurel has the second county courthouse, as there are two judicial districts in Jones County.Laurel is the principal city of a Micropolitan Statistical Area named for it. Its major employers include Howard Industries, Sanderson Farms, Masonite International, Family Health Center, Howse Implement, Thermo-Kool, and South Central Regional Medical Center. Laurel is home to the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, Mississippi's oldest art museum, which was established by the family of Lauren Eastman Rogers. Laurel is the headquarters of the Jones County Sheriff's Department, which administers in the county.