Photo: Spatms · CC BY-SA 4.0Baton Rouge spent more per resident in 2022 than 99% of similar cities
Baton Rouge’s city government spent $929.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $4,196 per resident. It also runs a hospital ($103.9 million), water utilities ($43.1 million) and an airport ($14.8 million), counted separately. Census Bureau figures.
What stands out about how Baton Rouge is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $4,196 per resident a year, or $11.50 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 18%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$4,091 per resident in 2022: more than 99% of them
Baton Rouge’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($4,091 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 137 Louisiana cities that don’t run their own schools: the median was $859, and the middle half spent $339–$1,254. Baton Rouge spent more than 99% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($109.6 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Louisiana cities that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Baton Rouge itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 4% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Baton Rouge 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: $4,091 · 2023: $4,085 · 2024: $4,196.
full-time in March 2025 (hospital, health & welfare left out), down from 4,352 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
Who’s in charge in Baton Rouge
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: brla.gov ↗
Baton Rouge’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on brla.gov ↗.
The typical homeowner pays $1,459 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.62% 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 Baton Rouge’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 Baton Rouge’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Baton Rouge →
One full-time city employee for every 53 residents, not counting hospital, health & welfare staff
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (221,453).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
East Baton Rouge Parish School District
Baton Rouge’s K–12 school district, shared with St. George. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,382 per pupil, $8,835 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
Baton Rouge sends 10 representatives to the Louisiana House alone.
- 1Your cityMayorSid Edwardsas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Louisiana HouseBaton Rouge is split between 10 districts
- 3Louisiana SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Louisiana
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Baton Rouge compares with the towns next door
No neighbor is close in size, so the comparison above uses Louisiana cities that don’t run their own schools. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| St. George | estimate | — |
| Port Allen | estimate | $536 |
| Baton Rouge | $4,091 | $1,459 |
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 Baton Rouge’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Baton Rouge’s government
How much does Baton Rouge spend per resident?
About $4,196 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. Baton Rouge also runs a hospital ($103.9 million), counted separately. In 2022, the last full count, its $4,091 was more than 99% of 137 Louisiana cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Baton Rouge?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,459 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.62% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.55% across Louisiana. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see brla.gov.
Who is the mayor of Baton Rouge?
Sid Edwards, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on brla.gov.
How many people work for Baton Rouge?
4,177 full-time and 866 part-time employees in March 2025 (plus 899 full-time hospital, health & welfare staff), with a March payroll of $31.9M (about $382.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Baton Rouge in the state legislature?
Baton Rouge is split among 10 State House districts and 4 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Louisiana Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Baton Rouge’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 →