City · LA · #107 nationally
Latest Census city estimates released May 14, 2026 · Population as of July 1, 2025 · Next city estimates scheduled for May 2027. Release schedule
Baton Rouge, Louisiana population is 222,795 as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimate), ranking #107 nationally and #2 in Louisiana. Cost of living runs 9.2% below the U.S. average (BEA RPP 2024); the four-person spending scenario corresponds to modeled gross income of $95,085/yr (TY2026 tax assumptions; partial scenario excluding unverified local income tax). This profile draws on 13 federal datasets covering population, housing, income, employment, climate, and risk.
2025 population
222,795
+1,255 in the last year
Top 1% of 19,483 U.S. cities
Census Vintage 2025
Cost of living
RPP 90.8
−9.2% vs US
Baton Rouge, LA metro · BEA 2024
Partial four-person scenario
$95,085/yr
Modeled gross income · TY2026 · excludes unverified local income tax
Median HH income
$49,994
−38% vs US
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr
Median home value
$234,700
−29% vs US
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr
2-BR fair-market rent
$1,204/mo
HUD FY2026 · 40th pct
Avg July high
92°F
NOAA 1991–2020
Gigabit broadband
71%
ISP-reported, FCC BDC
Explore Baton Rouge, LA demographics, including age, race and ethnicity, households, origins, language, and education. Compare the surrounding region in the U.S. metro population explorer. See how annual growth compares in the fastest-growing U.S. cities ranking.
222,795 people live in Baton Rouge as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025), the #107 largest U.S. city.
Baton Rouge covers 86.4 square miles of land and 2.2 square miles of water. Its population density is about 2,579 residents per square mile of land. Compare U.S. cities by land area →
2025 population
Known limit: Annual estimate, not a decennial count; each new PEP vintage can revise the prior series.
Population shrank 1.7% from the April 2020 base to mid-2025.
Vintage 2025 · annual estimates
2020 base: 226,697 → 2025: 222,795 (-1.7%)
| Year | Population | Reference date |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 base | 226,697 | April 1, 2020 |
| 2020 | 226,065 | July 1, 2020 |
| 2021 | 224,013 | July 1, 2021 |
| 2022 | 222,044 | July 1, 2022 |
| 2023 | 221,143 | July 1, 2023 |
| 2024 | 221,540 | July 1, 2024 |
| 2025 | 222,795 | July 1, 2025 |
These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2019 release — a separate, earlier methodology. They’re shown here as historical context only; the 2010 and 2019 values aren’t directly comparable to the 2020–2025 series above.
Population shrank 4.0% from the July 2010 estimate to 2019 (V2019 — see seam note below).
2010 base: 229,423 → 2019: 220,236 (-4.0%)
| Year | Population | Reference date |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 base | 229,423 | April 1, 2010 |
| 2010 | 229,374 | July 1, 2010 |
| 2011 | 228,643 | July 1, 2011 |
| 2012 | 228,889 | July 1, 2012 |
| 2013 | 228,346 | July 1, 2013 |
| 2014 | 227,851 | July 1, 2014 |
| 2015 | 227,202 | July 1, 2015 |
| 2016 | 226,686 | July 1, 2016 |
| 2017 | 224,414 | July 1, 2017 |
| 2018 | 222,190 | July 1, 2018 |
| 2019 | 220,236 | July 1, 2019 |
Baton Rouge is the #107 largest of 19,483 U.S. cities and #2 in Louisiana.
| Measure | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 base | 226,697 | April 1, 2020 census base |
| 5-yr change | -3,902 | 2020 base → 2025; within V2025 |
| 5-yr change % | -1.7% | within V2025 only |
| 1-yr change | +1,255 | 2024 → 2025 estimate |
| 1-yr change % | +0.6% | within V2025 only |
| Density | 2,579 | people per sq mi, land only |
| Land area | 86.4 | sq mi (2025 Gazetteer) |
| U.S. rank by population | #107 | of 19,483 cities |
| State rank by population | #2 | of 305 in Louisiana |
Place type · partially_consolidated
Baton Rouge is a partially consolidated city-parish government. The population shown reflects the Census Bureau's published estimate for the place, not the surrounding parish/county total. See the methodology for inclusion rules.
Same-period U.S. benchmarks: household income $80,734 ± $166; per-capita income $44,673 ± $122. Margins are at 90% confidence. Comparison badges describe point estimates; they are not significance tests.
Median household income is 38% below the U.S. median ($49,994 vs $80,734); 25.7% live in poverty, 13.2 points above the 12.5% U.S. estimate.
Baton Rouge: $49,994 — 38% below the US median of $80,734.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS income data; censored rows retained in the distribution
Income and poverty estimates for Baton Rouge from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates (window 2020–2024). Every figure is shown with its 90% margin of error (MOE). Cells where the ± margin exceeds half the estimate are flagged "low precision." See methodology §12.
| Measure | Estimate | ± margin / note |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $49,994-38.1% vs US | ±$2,546 |
| Per capita income | $34,731-22.3% vs US | ±$1,769 |
| Population in poverty | 25.7% ± 1.7 percentage points | share of population for whom poverty status is determined |
Source: ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 · ACS 5-Year Estimates 2020-2024 (released 2026-01-29) · methodology →
Median home value is 29% below the U.S. median ($234,700 vs $332,700); median rent is 24% below ($1,067 vs $1,413); the ratio of median home value to median household income is 4.7× versus 4.1× nationally; this compares two distributions and does not measure an individual household's housing burden.
Baton Rouge: $234,700 — 29% below the US median of $332,700.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS home-value data; censored rows retained in the distribution
Baton Rouge: $1,204/mo — 12% above the US median of $1,077/mo.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with a HUD Fair Market Rent
Owner-occupied home values, renter costs, and tenure split from the ACS 5-Year (2020–2024). All figures inflation-adjusted to 2024 dollars by Census.
Same-period U.S. benchmarks: home value $332,700 ± $236; gross rent $1,413 ± $2. Comparison badges describe estimates and do not establish statistical significance.
| Measure | Estimate | ± margin / note |
|---|---|---|
| Median value, owner-occupied units | $234,700-29.5% vs US | ±$6,832 |
| Median gross rent | $1,067-24.5% vs US | ±$21 |
| HUD Fair Market Rent, 2-BR (FY2026) | $1,204-11.4% vs US | Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area· 40th-percentile gross rent · HUD methodology |
| Owner-occupied share | 47.8% ± 1.5 percentage points | of occupied housing units |
| Price-to-income ratio | 4.7x± 0.28x approximate 90% MOE+13.9% vs US | median home value ÷ median household income · U.S. ratio: 4.1x |
| Rent-burdened (≥30% of income) | 58.7% ± 3.6 percentage points+14.9% vs US | renters with a computed rent/income ratio · U.S. share: 51.1% |
| Severely rent-burdened (≥50%) | 34.1% ± 3.0 percentage points+31.6% vs US | renters with a computed rent/income ratio · U.S. share: 25.9% |
Source: ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 · methodology →
Spans 1 county; 22.2% poverty rate; 4.2% unemployment.
Poverty (Census SAIPE 2024, model-based), unemployment (BLS LAUS 2025 annual averages), and remote-work share (ACS 2020–2024) for Baton Rouge. Numbers are labeled at their native grain — place-grain when BLS publishes it, otherwise per-county. We do not compute population-weighted county averages. See methodology §13.
| Measure | Value | Grain |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate (annual avg) | 4.6% | Baton Rouge (BLS sub-state LAUS) |
| Civilian labor force | 107,081 | 2025 annual avg |
| Worked from home | 8.2% ± 0.7 percentage points-45.8% vs US | share of workers 16+ working from home · U.S. share: 15.1% · ACS |
County context — Baton Rouge sits in East Baton Rouge Parish:
| County | Poverty rate | Median HH income | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Baton Rouge Parish | 22.2% | $64,198 | 4.2% |
Top industries by private employment — NAICS supersectors rolled up from Baton Rouge's linked county in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW, 2025 annual averages). See methodology §11.
| # | Industry (NAICS supersector) | Private employment | Avg weekly wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Health care and social assistance (62) | 44,542 | $1,245 / wk |
| #2 | Construction (23) | 25,575 | $1,863 / wk |
| #3 | Retail trade (44-45) | 24,256 | $761 / wk |
| #4 | Accommodation and food services (72) | 22,689 | $443 / wk |
| #5 | Professional and technical services (54) | 19,143 | $1,917 / wk |
What workers earn in the Baton Rouge, LA metro — top occupations by employment plus six curated benchmarks (registered nurse, software developer, elementary teacher, general manager, retail salesperson, truck driver). Wages are metro-area medians from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). See methodology §25.
Cashiers is the largest tracked occupation in the Baton Rouge, LA metro (9,130 jobs, median $27,110/yr).
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cashiers | 9,130 | $27,110 | $13.03 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 8,760 | $36,450 | $17.52 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 8,490 | $23,650 | $11.37 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 7,840 | $23,040 | $11.08 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 6,650 | $15,080 | $7.25 |
| Construction Laborers | 6,300 | $38,650 | $18.58 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 6,110 | $34,840 | $16.75 |
| Retail Salespersons · benchmark | 9,020 | $30,070 | $14.46 |
| Registered Nurses · benchmark | 8,290 | $81,130 | $39.00 |
| General and Operations Managers · benchmark | 8,230 | $107,140 | $51.51 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers · benchmark | 5,830 | $54,840 | $26.36 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education · benchmark | 4,450 | $59,310 | — |
| Software Developers · benchmark | 980 | $101,900 | $48.99 |
Source: SAIPE 2024 · BLS LAUS 2025 annual averages · BLS QCEW 2025 · BLS OEWS May 2025 · methodology →
Cost of living summary
All items run 9.2% below the U.S. average (RPP 90.8); utilities run 28.8% below (RPP 71.2) — the metro's utility affordability is the main driver.
Baton Rouge's cost of living runs 9.2% below the U.S. average (RPP 90.8 vs 100).
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of metro/non-metro areas with a BEA price parity
| BEA Regional Price Parity (all items) | RPP 90.8 | −9.2% vs U.S. average · BEA 2024 · Baton Rouge, LA metro |
| HUD Fair Market Rent, 2-BR | $1,204/mo | FY2026 · Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area |
| State income tax (top marginal rate) | 3.00% | flat · TY2026 |
| Four-person monthly spending scenario | $7,924/mo | 3BR rent + food + childcare + taxes + transport · federal sources; excludes unverified local income tax |
| One-person monthly spending scenario | $3,085/mo | 1BR rent + food + taxes + transport · federal sources; excludes unverified local income tax |
| Local income tax | — | Unverified and excluded from the spending scenario; not a verified zero |
Household budget figures are arithmetic floors using current federal sources at the grains documented in methodology. Not a recommended salary, not a poverty threshold, not a composite score.
Source: BEA RPP 2024 · HUD FMR · federal pipelines · methodology →
7.6% ± 0.8 percentage points foreign-born (U.S. share 14.1%); Spanish is the most-spoken language at home other than English (4.0% of residents 5+).
A quick read on Baton Rouge's residents — nativity and languages spoken at home shown above, from the ACS 5-Year 2020–2024. The full demographic breakdown (age, race and ethnicity, household types, and educational attainment, each with its margin of error) lives on the demographics page.
Source: ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 · methodology →
Hottest month: August (92°F avg high). Coldest: January (41°F avg low). Annual precipitation: 63.4 in.
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) for Baton Rouge from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. See methodology §15 for the gridded vs. station source path.
Average monthly highs & lows · 30-year normal (NOAA 1991–2020). Every number on this chart is an average.
Avg July high
92°F33°C
Hottest typical month, daytime
Avg January low
41°F5°C
Coldest typical month, overnight
Annual precipitation
63.4 in1611 mm
Sum of monthly normals
Hottest / coldest month
Aug / Jan
92°F high / 41°F low33°C high / 5°C low
Months ≥90°F avg high
3
Out of 12, NOAA 1991–2020
| Month | Avg high (°F)Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°F)Avg low (°C) | Precip (in)Precip (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62.216.8 | 41.05.0 | 6.17157 |
| Feb | 66.018.9 | 44.77.1 | 4.77121 |
| Mar | 72.822.7 | 50.410.2 | 4.55116 |
| Apr | 78.725.9 | 56.513.6 | 5.10130 |
| May | 85.529.7 | 64.317.9 | 5.61142 |
| Jun | 90.232.3 | 70.821.6 | 6.47164 |
| Jul | 91.533.1 | 72.922.7 | 6.00152 |
| Aug | 91.733.2 | 72.422.4 | 6.08154 |
| Sep | 88.331.3 | 68.220.1 | 4.53115 |
| Oct | 80.827.1 | 57.414.1 | 4.73120 |
| Nov | 70.921.6 | 47.88.8 | 4.05103 |
| Dec | 64.017.8 | 43.06.1 | 5.38137 |
Source: nClimGrid 1991-2020 v1.0, nearest cell at 30.4375, -91.1458 · methodology →
Composite risk score: 98.0/100 — Relatively High nationally; top hazard: Tornado (99.6).
Natural-hazard exposure for Baton Rouge from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index (FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0). NRI is an expected-annual-loss composite calibrated on 1996–2019 historical losses, published at the U.S. county grain. See methodology §17.
| County | NRI composite | Rating | Top hazards |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Baton Rouge Parish | 98.0 | Relatively High | Tornado 99.6 Very HighCold Wave 98.7 Relatively HighLightning 98.3 Very High |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index · FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0 · methodology →
10 non-satellite ISPs serve the area; 71% of locations have gigabit-capable service per ISP filings.
Fixed broadband availability for Baton Rouge from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's Broadband Data Collection (BDC), as of December 31, 2025. Every speed and provider count below is an ISP-reported advertised maximum — not measured throughput. Actual delivered speeds typically run 60–80% of advertised. See methodology §16.
| Measure | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Providers serving this city | 10 + satellite | distinct ISPs, excluding satellite-only |
| Fiber providers | 9 | offer fiber-to-the-premises somewhere in the BDC |
| Units with ≥100/20 Mbps fixed | 100.0% | share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max |
| Locations with ≥100 Mbps upload | 70.8% | derived: max(fiber ≥100/20, gigabit). Fiber is symmetric; gigabit is ≥100 up by definition |
| Units with ≥1 Gbps fixed | 70.8% | share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max |
| Total broadband-serviceable units | 116,200 | residential locations in the FCC Fabric (not households) |
Source: FCC BDC · as of December 31, 2025 · methodology →
Baton Rouge sits at state rank #2 among 305 cities in Louisiana. Nearby in the state ranking:
| State rank | City | 2025 population |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | New Orleans | 362,154 |
| #3 | Shreveport | 175,902 |
| #4 | Lafayette | 123,311 |
| #5 | Lake Charles | 82,676 |
See the full ranking: every city in Louisiana →
Baton Rouge is ranked #107 of 19,483 U.S. cities by 2025 population.
Nearby in the rankings
Just above in the profiled set: Fremont, CA · #106 · 226,442 residents.
Just below in the profiled set: San Bernardino, CA · #108 · 222,044 residents.
Sources: elevation from USGS 3DEP · nearest airport from OurAirports CSV (OurAirports type=large/medium and scheduled_service=yes; not an FAA service classification) · best months derived from NOAA 1991-2020 normals · methodology →
Baton Rouge has 222,795 residents as of July 1, 2025, making it the #107 largest city in the United States and #2 in Louisiana. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025.
Baton Rouge has shrunk 1.7% since the April 2020 census baseline, losing 3,902 residents. The most recent year ticked up slightly (+1,255 residents, +0.6% from 2024 to 2025). Source: Census PEP Vintage 2025.
226,697 at the April 1, 2020 estimates base. Source: Census PEP Vintage 2025.
Baton Rouge is in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana.
Baton Rouge covers 86.4 square miles of land, with a population density of about 2,579 residents per square mile. Source: Census Gazetteer 2025.
$49,994, about 38% below the U.S. median. Source: ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.
Sources · provenance
The GEOID for Baton Rouge is 2205000. These are the official datasets used by this profile's main data modules; click "methodology" for inclusion rules and the V2019 ↔ V2025 seam, or "source" for the raw publisher page. The headline population value above includes a source-detail disclosure with publisher, dataset, vintage, native geography, transformation, and caveat.
Full per-dataset detail: /sources/.
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