Central, LA, USA, 2013
Central’s story
21 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2013 and 6 maps from 1939 on.
- 2005Central is settled
CentralLA
A town of 30,313, settled in 2005. Public schools that outperform most of Louisiana.
Trash & recyclingPopulation
30,313
2025 Census estimate · +2.5% since 2020
Median home value
$289K
Census ACS
Household income
$90K
median
Median age
40.4
years
Jobs based here
5,842
A commuter town
TownGrade
B+
#9 of 161 in LA
Is Central a good place to live?
Central grades B+ overall, ranked 9th of 161 in Louisiana, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Its public schools beat 93% of Louisiana towns on state tests and graduation and the median household earns $90K. On the other side, FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 90% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. On health, just 5 of Louisiana’s 254 towns do better. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 84% of U.S. towns. Of the 53 Louisiana towns we compare, none has a lower property crime rate than Central.
What makes Central stand out
Where Central beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Central Community School District
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Central Intermediate School | 3–5 | 1,039 |
| Tanglewood Elementary School | 1–2 | 622 |
| Bellingrath Hills Elementary School | PK–K | 378 |
SchoolsA
#2 of the 162 Louisiana towns we grade for schools
NCES · EDFacts.
32 measures vs. Louisiana
21 better10 too close to call1 worse
| Widest gap | Central | LA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.8% | 22.5% |
HealthB+
Healthier than 70% of U.S. towns
Beats LA on 21 of 32 CDC measures, trails it on 1
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD
Inland flooding and tornadoes at the top
FEMA National Risk Index.
A growing town
Central has grown 13% since 2010
26,864 counted in 2010 and 29,565 in 2020; an estimated 30,313 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Central grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Louisiana), ordered by how far Central is from typical.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →SchoolsAOpen →Jobs & income5,842 jobs based hereAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.6 of 20; 2.4% of households have no car; 0.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →HealthOchsner Medical Center - Baton Rouge 8.3 miles awayB+Open →Cost of livingTypical home $289K, 4.1 years of the Baton Rouge metro’s $70K median household incomeCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors7 miles of trails; 2% conserved landC+Open →History1 notable person born hereD−Open →Civic life1.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 20 attractions →Tiger Stadium and 12 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Central. Close and well known come first.
14 mi Stadium & arenaTiger Stadium
12 mi MuseumUSS Kidd
13 mi Stadium & arenaPete Maravich Assembly Center15 mi Theme parkBlue Bayou and Dixie Landin'
7 mi Zoo & aquariumBaton Rouge Zoo11 mi MuseumLSU Rural Life MuseumSources: 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 · Baton Rouge Zoo: Kkmurray, CC BY 2.5
_at_Baton_Rouge,_Louisiana_(USA),_on_26_August_1988.jpg){kind=link}
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Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Central: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Central, and how to reach them.
PowerDixie Electric Membership13.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBaton Rouge Water CompanyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpCounty or districtA county or regional provider runs trash and recyclingTown site
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.govWho runs elections hereE Baton Rouge Parish Registrar of VotersEast Baton Rouge Parish; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes70739, 70818, 70770, 7071470739 41% · 70818 35% · 70770 9% · 70714 8%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 Central.
Central has schools in the top 5% of Louisiana and looks healthier within Louisiana than nationally, but it has a long record of flood insurance claims.
SchoolsA
Central’s grade for schools is an A
Its A ranks #2 of the 162 Louisiana towns we grade for schools.
Its public schools are run by the Central Community School District. Three of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Central High School, with 1,529 students.
93%of LA districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Intermediate SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades 3–5 | Grades 3–5 | 1,039 | A |
| Central High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,529 | A− |
| Central Middle SchoolTop results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,012 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within LA on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Central faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
1,869 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 102 properties have flooded more than once.
Since 1995, 1,869 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Central.
90risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHurricanes
1,869
paid flood claims since 1995
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
With 0.5 jobs for every working resident, most of Central’s workers commute out
Jobs based here grew from 4,266 in 2013 to 5,842.
Most working residents leave Central for work: only 11% work in town. 5.4% of residents live below the poverty line in Central, where Louisiana’s towns sit at 20% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. The average trip to work in Central is 29 minutes.
11%work in town
| Central | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 5.4% | 20% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $90,000 | $56,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 10% | 5.6% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Central11%
Baton Rouge36%
Zachary2%
New Orleans2%
Denham Springs2%
11 mi
median commute distance
5,842
jobs based in Central
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 16% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB+
A smaller share of adults get no exercise outside work in Central than in most of Louisiana or the rest of the country
Within Louisiana it is healthier than 97% of the 161 graded towns: much of Louisiana scores lower on these measures. Its widest gap with Louisiana is food insecurity: 11.8% of its 22,215 adults worry about having enough food, against 22.5% statewide.
21% of adults get no exercise outside work in Central, below both Louisiana’s towns (34%) and U.S. towns (25%). 19% of adults binge drink in Central. Among 161 Louisiana towns, just 10 have a lower share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Central.
70%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Central | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 34% | 25% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 43% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 16% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 26% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Louisiana
21 better10 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Central | LA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.8% | 22.5% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 7% | 12.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.4% | 7.5% |
Ochsner Medical Center - Baton Rouge
8.3 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
97th
percentile among LA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Central
Central has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Central’s July high is 92°F.
92°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter42–64°
Spring56–79°
Summer72–91°
Fall57–80°
Nov 26
typical first frost
Feb 25
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
92°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than Louisiana overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 17% of residents (22% statewide). 35% of Central adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Central has grown 2.5% since 2020, to 30,313 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
40.4median age · LA 38
| Central | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 20% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 26% | 24% | 22% |
| Median age | 40.4 years | 37.8 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 18% | 16% | 18% |
CentralLouisianaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school33%
Some college22%
Associate’s7%
Bachelor’s24%
Graduate11%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2 points. Across Louisiana, 51.1% of residents are women. Among residents 18 to 24, 71% are men (LA 51%).
| Central | LA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.1% | 12.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.8% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.2% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.4% | 13.3% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.7% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10% | 11.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.5% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.1% | 10.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.3% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.4% | 12.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32.6% | 32.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.1% | 20.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.6% | 7.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.3% | 17% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11% | 10.1% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Safety
Central stands out in Louisiana and nationally: violent crime there is lower
Central's reported crime rate is well below Louisiana's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. Violent crime is rare: 2 reported in 2025.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Central0.1
Louisiana4.7
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Central0.6
Louisiana18.6
U.S.15.5
2
violent crimes reported in 2025
19
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
OutdoorsC+
Central has set aside 2.5% of its land for conservation
6.6 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. Frenchtown Conservation Area, at 505 acres with 3.8 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
#68for trails in LA
| Central | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.5% | 1.2% | 4.3% |
2.5%
conserved · 1,016 of 39,884 acres
6.6 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Frenchtown Conservation Area | 3.8 mi | 505 |
| 2. Blackwater Conservation Area | 1.5 mi | 67 |
| 3. Jackson Park | — | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade C
A home in Central sells for about $312K at the median
The median property tax bill is $1,868, against $1,180 across Louisiana, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Only 10 of the 161 Louisiana towns we compare have a higher share of households owning their home than Central.
$312Kmedian sale price
| Central | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 89% | 68% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 65% | 58% | 48% |
| Median rent | $1,309 a month | $989 a month | $1,185 a month |
Market temperature
72
days on market
98.3%
sale-to-list price
25
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Central
20pages on Central
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
6 within 15 miles of the center of Central
Southern University and A & M CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Baton Rouge9.5 mi$9,922 in-state tuitionBaton Rouge Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Baton Rouge9.8 mi$4,321 in-state tuitionSouthern University Law CenterUniversity or college · Public · Baton Rouge9.8 mi
About 6 of every 100 Central residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Louisiana.
A commuter town
89% of working residents leave Central for work
Where Central’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
5,842jobs based in Central
11%of working residents work in town
11 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Central
City in Louisiana, United States
Central is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, third largest city in East Baton Rouge Parish, and part of the Baton Rouge metropolitan statistical area. Central had a 2020 census population of 29,565.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 2005
- Area
- 63 sq mi
- Elevation
- 66 ft
Central’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Central.
Denham SpringsBrownfieldsMonticelloZacharySt. GeorgeCentral
How the neighbors grade
| Town | LA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central | #9 | B+ | C | — | A | B+ |
| Denham Springs | #4 | A− | A− | — | A | C+ |
| Brownfields | #154 | D− | C+ | — | B | D− |
| Monticello | #111 | C− | B− | — | B− | C− |
| Zachary | #60 | C | C− | C− | A | B+ |
| St. George | — | — | — | — | B− | — |
Central, Denham Springs, Brownfields, Monticello and St. George report no FBI crime data of their own. St. George isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Central with a neighbor →
Questions about Central
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Central, LA a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Central grades B+ overall, better than 68% of U.S. towns and #9 of 161 in Louisiana. It grades B+ for health and A for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Central, LA expensive?
The typical home is worth about $289,000, 35% above the Louisiana typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.