Lincoln Theater · Photo: Tjean314 · CC BY-SA 3.0Baker spent less per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar cities
Baker’s city government spent $14.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $1,140 per resident. Water and other utilities ($3.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Baker is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$971 per resident in 2022: less than 100% of them
Baker’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($971 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 18 Louisiana cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,552, and the middle half spent $1,224–$1,768. Baker spent less than 100% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Louisiana cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Baker itself left out).
About $1,140 per resident a year, or $3.12 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 23%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 12% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Baker reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $971 · 2023: $1,140. Per resident it went from $971 to $1,140 (up 17%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 12,999 to 12,434.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $703 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.45% of the home’s value, vs 0.55% across Louisiana.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Baker’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Baker’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Baker →
Who’s in charge in Baker
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 100 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (12,434).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Baker City School District
Baker’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,796 per pupil, $9,759 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Louisiana districts overall: 47% local, 34% state, 19% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Baker.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Louisiana HouseBaker is split between 2 districts
- 3Louisiana SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Louisiana
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Baker compares with the towns next door
Baker spent $971 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Baker | $971 | $703 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Baker’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Baker’s government
How much does Baker spend per resident?
About $1,140 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $971 was less than 100% of 18 Louisiana cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Baker?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $703 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.45% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.55% across Louisiana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who runs Baker’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Baker yet.
How many people work for Baker?
124 full-time and 26 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $557,916 (about $6.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Baker in the state legislature?
Baker is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Louisiana Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 15 (Regina Barrow). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Baker’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →