Ben and Erin Napier always say they’re changing their town of Laurel, Mississippi one house at a time.
But the truth is their impact is just a bit bigger than that.
Ben and Erin were recently guests on Christian podcaster Annie F. Down’s “That Sounds Fun” podcast. During the hour-long conversation, Ben told Annie that they’ve seen the impact their HGTV show “Home Town” has had on Laurel.
“In Laurel, it’s weird because it’s on such a larger.. because we’ve done so many, but if we do a house, then the people next door start fixing up their house, just cleaning up a little bit,” said Ben.
He went on, “My dad was a farmer and Laurel was an industrial town. You’d come here to get things fixed. You didn’t come here to do anything else. You came here to get stuff worked on and then you went home. So to them, it’s fascinating or crazy that people are traveling from all over to see Laurel.”
Ben and Erin Napier also notice the growing pride in the town. “This weird thing has happened, people used to say, like if they were traveling for work, people from Laurel would say ‘well, I’m from outside of Hattiesburg.’ But now, they’re very proud to say ‘Well, I’m from Laurel and it’s the town where the show is,'” Ben said.
‘Home Town’ Effect Goes Way Beyond Civic Pride
But Ben and Erin Napier’s magic goes way beyond civic pride or even a fresh coat of paint.
And according to Southern Living, Ben and Erin’s efforts to save Laurel started long before HGTV came calling. “It was kind of fake it till you make it,” said Erin Napier. “It was about sparking curiosity, getting people to say, ‘Oh, something’s going on here—I wonder what it is.’ “
In 2008, the Napiers and their friends decided to take action after seeing their beloved hometown fall into disrepair, with a downtown area that was largely abandoned.
“When we all came home from college—Mallorie and Jim Rasberry, Emily and Josh Nowell, Ben, and me—we were the only people who lived downtown,” Erin told Southern Living. “It was just us and the feral cats. For the six of us, all in our twenties, it was like a game: How can we make downtown Laurel feel alive again?”
The group founded Laurel Main Street. “We all did what we could,” Erin said. “Josh had done some real estate development. He had a bird’s-eye view. Ben and I were the storytellers. I would take photos of a corner downtown that people might overlook. I kept a journal online, and I mocked up some murals in Photoshop. We put some lights in the trees and had these potluck parties and invited our friends from Hattiesburg. We were just like, ‘Yeah, Laurel’s a cool place—you didn’t know?’ “
‘Home Town’ Sparks Laurel, Mississippi’s Economic Revival
“Home Town” debuted in 2016, eight years after Ben and Erin Napier started their efforts to save the town.
Since then, according to the Wall Street Journal, Ben and Erin have renovated more than 100 Laurel homes. And some of those have become short-term rentals that cater to Laurel’s growing tourist population.
In 2022, the city collected $10.64 million in sales taxes, a $2 million increase from 2016, according to the mayor’s office. And a tax on sales at restaurants and hotels brought the town $2.26 million in 2022, compared with $1.46 million in 2016.
Another tax on hotels, motels, bed-and-breakfasts and short-term rentals hit the books in September 2022. That generates at least $30,000 a month for the city.
Erin and Ben, with their businesses including the Laurel Mercantile and the Scotsman Co woodworking shop, employ between 80 and 100 people at any given time.
Laurel currently has about 17,000 residents. In 2016, when “Home Town” debuted, the median home price there was $119,000 according to the Wall Street Journal. Now Realtor.com lists the median home price in Laurel at more than double that at $242,500.
And Laurel should continue to thrive. Ben and Erin have signed on with HGTV through at least 2027, with at least 32 more episodes. Which means 32 more Laurel homes renovated by the pair.
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Ben & Erin Napier’s Dramatic Impact On Their Home Town