Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Baker earns a D−, 156th of 161 graded towns in Louisiana, mostly because of health and schools. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 94% of the country. Its schools rank behind 86% of the state's. What it does well: a typical home costs about $183K, 2.6 years of the Baton Rouge metro’s $70K median household income. 30% of residents live below the poverty line in Baker, where Louisiana’s towns sit at 20% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 87% of U.S. towns. Baker has 5 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Leland College and Baker Presbyterian Church.
Where Baker beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
13,895 counted in 2010 and 12,455 in 2020; an estimated 12,136 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Louisiana), ordered by how far Baker is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 762 in 1950, 12,455 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 6 maps from 1939 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Baker. Close and well known come first.
12 mi Stadium & arenaTiger Stadium
10 mi MuseumUSS Kidd
12 mi Stadium & arenaPete Maravich Assembly Center18 mi Theme parkBlue Bayou and Dixie Landin'
2 mi Zoo & aquariumBaton Rouge Zoo
10 mi MuseumShaw Center for the ArtsTiger Stadium: Daniel Foster, CC BY-SA 2.0 · USS Kidd: Cobatfor, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pete Maravich Assembly Center: Spatms, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Baton Rouge Zoo: Kkmurray, CC BY 2.5 · Shaw Center for the Arts: UrbanPlanet BR (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Baker, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Baker.
Baker looks healthier within Louisiana than nationally, but it has a long record of flood insurance claims.
Within Louisiana it is less healthy than 57% of the 161 graded towns: much of Louisiana scores lower on these measures.
Two figures for adults in Baker: 50% have high blood pressure, 34% worry about having enough food. Among 161 Louisiana towns, just 10 have a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Baker. 48% of Baker adults sleep under 7 hours. CDC measures, 32 in all: Baker beats Louisiana on 3 and trails on 11.
| Baker | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 48% | 42% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 50% | 44% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 26% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 16% |
| What stands out | Baker | LA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.9% | 7.5% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 13.3% | 16.9% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 20.7% | 12.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Of its 7 schools, two are listed below, each with the reason. Public school enrollment in Baker: 1,923 students across 6 schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advantage Charter AcademyLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 743 | C |
| Baker High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 370 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within LA on state tests and graduation
421 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 29 properties have flooded more than once.
421 flood insurance claims have been paid in Baker since 1978. FEMA expects more storm and flood damage in the town than in 86% of U.S. communities. Federal aid has come to Baker households in 14 declared disasters; the latest was in 2024.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The top destinations are Baton Rouge (39%), Zachary (4%) and New Orleans (3%). Since 2013, Baker has lost 456 jobs, to 2,294 in 2023. Half commute less than 12 miles. Among working residents here, 3.7% work locally.
| Baker | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 3.7% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $55,000 | $56,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Within Louisiana, it does better than 71% of towns. In Baker, the level of property crime is 11 per 1,000 residents.
| Baker | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 11 per 1,000 residents | 24.2 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4 per 1,000 residents | 4.4 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
July afternoons reach 92°, January nights drop to 41° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Homes sold in Baker spent a median 44 days on the market. The typical Baker home is worth about $183,000, up 2.6% in a year, 15% below the Louisiana typical home. The town’s going rate for rent comes in at $993 a month.
| Baker | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $993 a month | $989 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
People 65 and older are 11% of residents (17% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 28% of residents (22% statewide). In Baker, the median age is 33.5 years. Just over a fifth of adults 25 and older hold at least a bachelor’s degree, against 27% across Louisiana. For residents here, the share who are under 18 is 26%.
| Baker | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 11% | 17% | 18% |
| Median age | 33.5 years | 37.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 26% | 24% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 21% | 20% | 29% |
59% women, 41% men
About 70 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.3 points). Across Louisiana, 51.1% of residents are women. Among residents 35 to 44, 66% are women (LA 51%).
| Baker | LA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.1% | 12.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.2% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 12.3% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.4% | 13.3% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.9% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.9% | 11.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.8% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.1% | 10.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.2% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.9% | 12.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 40.7% | 32.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.7% | 20.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 4.1% | 7.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 13.3% | 17% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.4% | 10.1% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
There are 0.2 miles of trail across 4 parks and preserves. Parks and preserves in Baker: 4, covering 30 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Jefferson Park | — | 10 |
| 2. Baker Park | — | 8 |
| 3. Baker Recreational Center | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
6 within 15 miles of the center of Baker
About 5 of every 100 Baker residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Louisiana.
Where Baker’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
5 places in Baker on the National Register of Historic Places.
6 notable people were born in Baker.
One town shares a border with Baker.
| Town | LA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker | #156 | D− | B+ | C | D | D |
| Brownfields | #154 | D− | C+ | — | B | D− |
Brownfields reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Baker with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Baker grades D− overall, better than 3% of U.S. towns and #156 of 161 in Louisiana. It grades D for health, C for safety and D for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Within Louisiana, it does better than 71% of towns.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
6 notable people were born here, including Linda Thomas-Greenfield and Dexter Dennis.
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