Ben and Erin Napier Celebrate 10 Years of 'Home Town'
It's been a decade of our favorite Laurel, Mississippi, locals. Let's take a look back at their HGTV journey.
Time flies when you're having fun — and believe it or not, Ben and Erin Napier, hosts of HGTV's Home Town, have been on air for 10 years. Yes, it's been a decade of Ben's creative builds (remember the craftsman crib he handmade for Helen?) and Erin's charming designs (her Southern plate wall will live in our minds forever).
The first episode of the show aired on January 24, 2016.
Home Town: Back to the Beginning
The Napiers' Home Town journey formally began in 2015, according to Erin's Laurel Mercantile blog post from 2021. An HGTV exec started following Erin after Southern Weddings posted photos of the Napiers' home on Instagram.
"When [the exec] found my photos on Instagram, she felt like Laurel was special," Erin wrote. "Something about our little town gave her a gut feeling that she needed to reach out, that something was here for her, and something about our small town life could make people all across the country nostalgic for a place they’ve never even been. She’s been a cheerleader for us and our city in immeasurable ways because she saw what we see, and has the ability to share that with the world in ways we could only dream of."
The Home Town Phenomenon
"No one loves a place more than we love our town," Ben says in the opening of the show's pilot. "We're trying to help it. We're trying to bring it back."
And help it, they did! Nine seasons, several spinoffs and a couple of holiday movies later, Laurel and various small towns across America — a la Home Town Takeover — are thriving.
Back in February 2025, we honored another big milestone for Home Town. "Last night we got to celebrate the 100th episode of Home Town with [almost] everyone who has ever been part of it. Hundreds of faces. It felt like a second wedding for us," Erin captioned an Instagram post. "We are so deeply honored we get to be part of Home Town and in your living rooms every week."
Remembering the Bests
What's to Come
New episodes of Home Town air Sunday nights at 8|7c on HGTV and are available to stream the next day on discovery+ and HBO Max. Follow Ben and Erin on Instagram @erinapier and @scotsman.co. Stay up to date on all things Home Town via HGTV.com.
