For a city of 222,795, Baton Rouge does unevenly: it grades C−, 105th of 161 graded towns in Louisiana. It is more walkable than 79% of U.S. towns. The trade-offs: residents are less healthy than 80% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates, and the median household income is $50K, and 26% of residents live below the poverty line. 48% of working residents work locally in Baton Rouge, above both the Louisiana town median (9.8%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Its National Register listings include Old Louisiana State Capitol and Louisiana State Capitol Building and Gardens. On the outdoors, just 18 of Louisiana’s 255 towns do better.

StrongestAHistory A⁻WalkabilityWeakestC⁻Health C⁻Jobs & income

What makes Baton Rouge stand out

Where Baton Rouge beats most towns.

Old Louisiana State Capitol

HistoryA

Settled in 1699

78 places on the National Register

A history going back 327 years.

Biggest of 5

College	Students
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College	35,071
Southern University and A & M College	7,190
Baton Rouge Community College	4,640

College town

5 colleges

48,142 students on campus

Students are part of everyday life here.

Jobs vs. working residents

Jobs here156,296

Residents who work79,916

Work

2 jobs for every working resident

A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 93% of U.S. towns

Census LEHD 2023.

Old Louisiana State Capitol · National Register of Historic Places

Baton Rouge’s story

327 years in pictures

Old Louisiana State Capitol is one of 3 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its founding year, 1699, is the earliest of any Louisiana town we grade.

Census counts: 469 in 1810, 227,470 in 2020. The archive holds 23 old photos and papers going back to 1805 and 7 maps from 1908 on.

78 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

1699Baton Rouge is settled

Explore the history →

How Baton Rouge grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Louisiana), ordered by how far Baton Rouge is from typical.

How grading works

HealthThe General 1.4 miles awayC⁻Open →Jobs & income156,296 jobs based hereC⁻Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.8 of 20; 12% of households have no car; 5.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitA⁻Open →Cost of livingC⁺Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 50% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB⁻Open →SchoolsB⁻Open →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

Outdoors3% conserved landB⁻Open →History29 notable people born hereAOpen →Civic life5.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC⁺Open →

Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

ClimateMild winters, 92° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market31 days on market–Open →Who lives here–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Nearby attractions

Tiger Stadium and 13 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Baton Rouge. Close and well known come first.

All 22 attractions →

in town Stadium & arenaTiger Stadium

in town MuseumUSS Kidd

in town Stadium & arenaPete Maravich Assembly Center

40 mi MuseumWhitney Plantation Historic District 9 mi Theme parkBlue Bayou and Dixie Landin'

in town MuseumShaw Center for the Arts

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

Tiger 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 · Whitney Plantation Historic District: Bill Leiser, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Shaw Center for the Arts: UrbanPlanet BR (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0

Getting set up

Moving to Baton Rouge: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Baton Rouge, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerDixie Electric Membership13.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterBaton Rouge Water CompanyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet6 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpTown pickupTown crews pick up at the curbTown site

SchoolsEast Baton Rouge Parish School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES

Register to voteOnlineIn Louisiana you can register online until 20 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.gov

Who runs elections hereE Baton Rouge Parish Registrar of VotersEast Baton Rouge Parish; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025

ZIP codes70808, 70815, 70806, 7080270808 14% · 70815 13% · 70806 12% · 70802 12%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Baton Rouge.

Baton Rouge carries less natural-hazard risk than most of Louisiana (mostly inland flooding), draws workers from Central and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.

Work & commuteJobs & income grade C⁻

About half of working residents work right in Baton Rouge

156,296 jobs are based in Baton Rouge, 2 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.

The average trip to work in Baton Rouge is 21 minutes. The top destinations are New Orleans (3%), Lafayette (2%) and Metairie (1%). Half commute less than 6 miles.

48%work in town

	Baton Rouge	Louisiana towns	U.S. towns
Average trip to work	21 minutes	25 minutes	25 minutes
Median household income	$50,000	$56,000	$80,000
Work from home	8.2%	5.6%	11%

Where working residents work

In Baton Rouge48%

New Orleans3%

Lafayette2%

Metairie1%

Prairieville1%

6 mi

median commute distance

156,296

jobs based in Baton Rouge

A job hub

jobs vs. working residents

A−

Walkability grade: more walkable than 79% of U.S. towns

Full pageBaton Rouge’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here156,296 jobs based here · A job hub Where people work48% work in Baton Rouge Commute times21 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 6 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

SchoolsB⁻

Baton Rouge’s schools rank ahead of 53% of Louisiana districts

Its public schools are run by the East Baton Rouge Parish school district. Three of its 102 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.

53%of LA districts it outscoresB⁻School Grade

School	Level	Students	Letter
Southeast Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8	Grades 6–8	826	D
Baton Rouge Magnet High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12	Grades 9–12	1,593	A⁺
LSU Laboratory SchoolTop results in townGrades K–12	Grades K–12	1,463	A⁺

Full pageBaton Rouge’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsEast Baton Rouge Parish Vs. the neighborsBehind its 6 graded neighbors Every school102 schools · GEO Prep Academy of Greater Baton Rouge Questions“Are Baton Rouge’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within LA on state tests and graduation

HealthC⁻

Baton Rouge earns a C− for health

Against the 5,792 U.S. towns with household incomes like Baton Rouge’s, it is less healthy than 53%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income. Within Louisiana it is healthier than 67% of the 161 graded towns: much of Louisiana scores lower on these measures.

30% of adults worry about having enough food in Baton Rouge. Baton Rouge beats the Louisiana average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 44% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Baton Rouge.

20%healthier than U.S. townsC⁻Health Grade

	Baton Rouge	Louisiana towns	U.S. towns
Food insecurity (CDC PLACES)	30%	26%	14%
Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES)	44%	42%	36%
Feel lonely (CDC PLACES)	39%	37%	33%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)	21%	20%	17%

32 measures vs. Louisiana

4 better22 too close to call6 worse

What stands out	Baton Rouge	LA
Fewer adults who have had cancer	5.8%	7.5%
Fewer adults with heart disease	6.6%	7.5%
More adults without reliable transportation	16.3%	11.3%

The General

1.4 mi away · emergency room

2 of 3

care shortages: dental, mental health

67th

percentile among LA towns

Full pageBaton Rouge’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsMore adults sleeping under 7 hours Hospitals & doctors nearby1.4 miles to an ER · The General How adults are doingMore adults in frequent mental distress Every CDC estimateBetter than LA on 4 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

OutdoorsB⁻

3.1% of Baton Rouge is conserved land

27 miles of trail in 64 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is City-Brooks Community Park, 157 acres with 2.1 miles of trail.

#41for trails in LA

	Baton Rouge	Louisiana towns	U.S. towns
Conserved land	3.1%	1.2%	4.3%
Miles of trail per square mile	0.3 miles per square mile	0.2	0.4

3.1%

conserved · 1,736 of 56,501 acres

27 mi

of trails · 0.3 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Howell Park	4.5 mi	112
2. Forest Community Park	2.2 mi	108
3. City-Brooks Community Park	2.1 mi	157

Full pageBaton Rouge’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map27 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk4.5 miles of trail · Howell Park Conserved land3.1% conserved · 1,736 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Baton Rouge?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Who lives here

More young adults than Louisiana overall

Adults 18 to 34 are 34% of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 32% of residents (37% statewide). Baton Rouge’s median age is 31.5 years. 37% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 27% across Louisiana.

31.5median age · LA 38

	Baton Rouge	Louisiana towns	U.S. towns
Median age	31.5 years	37.9 years	40.5 years
Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+	37%	20%	29%
Aged 65 or older	14%	17%	18%
Under 18	21%	24%	22%

Baton RougeLouisianaUnited States

LAU.S.

Ages · share of residents

19%

Education · adults 25 and older

No diploma12%

High school26%

Some college20%

Associate’s6%

Bachelor’s20%

Graduate17%

Women and men · all residents

52.6% women, 47.4% men

About 90 men for every 100 women. Across Louisiana, 51.1% of residents are women. Median age: women 32.7, men 30.3.

Ages and education in Baton Rouge
	Baton Rouge	LA	U.S.
Under 10	12.1%	12.6%	11.6%
10 to 17	8.8%	10.9%	10.3%
18 to 24	19.2%	9.1%	9.1%
25 to 34	14.3%	13.3%	13.7%
35 to 44	11.1%	13.3%	13.2%
45 to 54	9.9%	11.5%	12.2%
55 to 64	10.5%	12.6%	12.7%
65 to 74	8.2%	10.2%	10.2%
75 and older	6%	6.5%	7%
No diploma	12.4%	12.7%	10.4%
High school	25.7%	32.5%	26%
Some college	19.8%	20.4%	19.1%
Associate’s	5.5%	7.3%	8.8%
Bachelor’s	20.1%	17%	21.6%
Graduate	16.5%	10.1%	14.1%

Full pageBaton Rouge by the numbersOpen the page

Ages31.5 median age · 14% are 65 or older Schooling37% have a four-year degree Homes48% own their home · Homeowners Income$50K a year · Median household income

U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates

Climate

In Baton Rouge, expect mild winters and hot summers

January nights average 41°, milder than in 95% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 91.5°.

Baton Rouge has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Snow is almost unheard of.

92°summer high

	Baton Rouge	Louisiana towns	U.S. towns
January low	41°F	42°F	22°F
July high	92°F	92°F	85°F

Typical low → high °F

Winter43–64°

Spring57–79°

Summer72–91°

Fall58–80°

Nov 26

typical first frost

Feb 25

typical last frost

+0.7°

vs. the 20th-century average

92°

typical summer high

Full pageBaton Rouge’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 92°, January lows 41°Rain & snow63″ of rain a year · Snow is almost unheard of Heating & coolingBoth heating and cooling Then and now+0.7° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Safety

Crime reported in Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge's reported crime rate is well above Louisiana's. Among 51 Louisiana towns, just 5 have a higher property crime rate than Baton Rouge. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.

	Baton Rouge	Louisiana towns	U.S. towns
Violent crimes per 1,000 (2023)	10 per 1,000 residents	6.2	1.8
Property crimes per 1,000 (2023)	55.3 per 1,000 residents	29.7	13.1

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Baton Rouge10

Louisiana5.8

U.S.3.9

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Baton Rouge55.3

Louisiana26.2

U.S.19.5

2,199

violent crimes reported in 2023

12,108

property crimes reported in 2023

Full pageBaton Rouge’s safety reportOpen the page

Violent crime by type10 violent crimes per 1,000 Crime over the yearsReported crime since 2023 Vs. the neighbors6 bordering towns Questions“Is Baton Rouge, LA safe?”

FBI crime data, 2023 · crimes reported to police

HousingCost of living grade C⁺

A typical Baton Rouge home is worth about $228K

The typical Baton Rouge home is worth about $228,000, up 2.1% in a year, 7% above the Louisiana typical home.

$228KZillow home value

	Baton Rouge	Louisiana towns	U.S. towns
Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent	59%	58%	48%
Median rent	$1,067 a month	$989 a month	$1,185 a month

Typical home value

Baton Rouge$228K

Louisiana$214K

Market temperature

days on market

98.2%

sale-to-list price

+2.1%

value change, 1 year

179

homes sold in May

Full pageBaton Rouge’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsUp 2.1% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 4.6 years of income Rents$1,067 a month · Median rent Vs. the neighborsAhead of 3 of its 5 graded neighbors

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B⁻

Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Baton Rouge

FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 76% of Louisiana towns, with expected losses of about $474 per resident a year; that rating is what its B− for hazard risk is built on.

Since 1978, 5,396 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Baton Rouge.

50risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingHurricanesTornadoes

5,396

paid flood claims since 1978

federal disasters paid out here

Full pageBaton Rouge’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesModerate risk Flood claims5,396 paid flood claims · Since 1978 Past disasters17 federal disasters · Paid out in Baton Rouge Get ready1.8 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Baton Rouge

20pages on Baton Rouge

The big questions

SchoolsB⁻Beat 53% of LA districts · 102 schools Safety10 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2023)HealthC⁻Better than LA on 4 of 32 CDC measures Cost of livingC⁺$228K typical home · up 2.1% in a year Work & commuteC⁻$50K median household income · 156,296 jobs here Natural hazardsB⁻FEMA risk higher than 50% of U.S. communities · inland flooding

Out and about

OutdoorsB⁻27 mi of trails · 3% conserved land PlacesAttractions22 nearby · Tiger Stadium under 1 mi LibraryC⁺East Baton Rouge Parish Library CollegesFranciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University, in town

The story

HistoryASettled 1699 · 78 on the National Register Famous people29 born in Baton Rouge Town Hall & politicsOne full-time town employee per 44 residents Climate92° summer highs

Day to day

News16 recent stories about Baton Rouge WeatherHandbookZIP code 70801, 70802, 70803 Town SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

6 within 15 miles of the center of Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Baton RougeIn town$4,321 in-state tuition Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Baton RougeIn town$11,954 in-state tuition Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Baton RougeIn town$18,310 tuition

College town 15 of every 100 Baton Rouge residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Louisiana.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

College town

15% of Baton Rouge is in college

5 colleges in town.

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College35,071 students on campus

Admission: 73%
Net price: $19,151
Graduate: 69%

Southern University and A & M College7,190 students on campus

Admission: 35%
Net price: $20,077
Graduate: 27%

Baton Rouge Community College4,640 students on campus

Admission: Open
Net price: $9,474
Graduate: 31%

College Scorecard · IPEDS

Landmarks

78 places in Baton Rouge on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Old Louisiana State CapitolNational Historic Landmark

Louisiana State Capitol Building and GardensNational Historic Landmark

U.s.s. KiddNational Historic Landmark

Magnolia Mound Plantation House

Famous people from Baton Rouge

29 notable people were born in Baton Rouge.

See all 29 →

Bobby JindalAmerican politician and 55th governor of Louisiana · born 1971

Bob PettitAmerican basketball player and coach · 1932–2026

Shane WestAmerican actor, musician and songwriter · born 1978

Ted DiBiase Jr.American professional wrestler and actor · born 1982

Carly PattersonAmerican artistic gymnast and rock singer · born 1988

Glen DavisAmerican basketball player · born 1986

About Baton Rouge

Capital city of Louisiana, United States

Official town website ↗

Baton Rouge ( BAT-ən ROOZH; French: Bâton-Rouge, pronounced [bɑtɔ̃ ʁuʒ] ; lit. 'Red Baton') is the capital city of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It had a population of 227,470 at the 2020 United States census, making it Louisiana's second-most populous city. It is the seat of Louisiana's most populous parish, East Baton Rouge Parish, and the center of Louisiana's second-largest metropolitan area, Greater Baton Rouge, which had 870,569 residents in 2020. Located on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, the Baton Rouge area owes its historical importance to its strategic site upon the Istrouma Bluff, the first natural bluff upriver from the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. T…

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established: 1699
Area: 88 sq mi
Elevation: 56 ft
ZIP code: 70801, 70802, 70803
Area code: 225

Baton Rouge’s neighbors

6 towns share a border with Baton Rouge.

Explore the map →

St. GeorgeMerrydaleGardereMonticelloBrownfieldsPort AllenBaton Rouge

St. George

Merrydale

Gardere

Monticello

Brownfields

Port Allen

How the neighbors grade

Town	LA rank	Overall	Cost	Safety	Schools	Health
Baton Rouge	#105	C⁻	C⁺	—	B⁻	C⁻
St. George	—	—	—	—	B⁻	—
Merrydale	#158	D⁻	C	—	B⁻	D⁻
Gardere	#95	C⁻	C	—	B⁻	C
Monticello	#111	C⁻	B⁻	—	B⁻	C⁻
Brownfields	#154	D⁻	C⁺	—	B	D⁻
Port Allen	#80	C	A⁻	D⁻	B⁺	D

Baton Rouge, St. George, Merrydale, Gardere, Monticello and Brownfields report no FBI crime data of their own. St. George isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Baton Rouge with a neighbor →

Questions about Baton Rouge

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Baton Rouge, LA a good place to live?

Baton Rouge grades C− overall, better than 20% of U.S. towns and #105 of 161 in Louisiana. It grades C− for health and B− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a C−.

Is Baton Rouge, LA expensive?

That is 3.3 years of the area's median household income ($69,599 across the Baton Rouge, LA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.

What is Baton Rouge, LA known for?

29 notable people were born here, including Bobby Jindal and Bob Pettit.

Post to Baton Rouge

Check your email

Baton RougeLA

What is it like to live in Baton Rouge?

What makes Baton Rouge stand out

Jobs vs. working residents

327 years in pictures

How Baton Rouge grades

Tiger Stadium and 13 more within 40 miles

Moving to Baton Rouge: who provides what

The data

About half of working residents work right in Baton Rouge

Where working residents work

Baton Rouge’s schools rank ahead of 53% of Louisiana districts

Baton Rouge earns a C− for health

3.1% of Baton Rouge is conserved land

More young adults than Louisiana overall

Ages · share of residents

Education · adults 25 and older

Women and men · all residents

In Baton Rouge, expect mild winters and hot summers

Typical low → high °F

Crime reported in Baton Rouge

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Property crime per 1,000 residents

A typical Baton Rouge home is worth about $228K

Typical home value

Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Baton Rouge

Everything we know about Baton Rouge

Colleges nearby

15% of Baton Rouge is in college

Landmarks

Famous people from Baton Rouge

About Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge’s neighbors

Questions about Baton Rouge