Baton Rouge, LA

Census Place

2024 Population

222,771

US Senator

Bill Cassidy

Republican Party

US Senator

John Kennedy

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

31.5

0.943% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

25.7%

2.87% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$49,994

0.1% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$234,700

Population & Diversity

Baton Rouge, LA is home to a population of 223k people, from which 95.2% are citizens.

As of 2024, 7.55% of Baton Rouge, LA residents were born outside of the country (16.8k people).

In 2024, there were 1.45 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (112k people) in Baton Rouge, LA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 77.6k White (Non-Hispanic) and 8.81k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95.2%

2024 Citizenship

95.1%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 95.2% of Baton Rouge, LA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Baton Rouge, LA was 95.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Baton Rouge, LA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Baton Rouge, LA

Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
112k ± 3.12k
White (Non-Hispanic)
77.6k ± 2.53k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
8.81k ± 956

6.19%

Hispanic Population

13.8k people

6.19% of the people in Baton Rouge, LA are hispanic (13.8k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Baton Rouge, LA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Louisiana.

Most Common Origin

Honduras
48,818 ± 5,396 people
Mexico
27,788 ± 4,080 people
Vietnam
17,351 ± 3,228 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Louisiana was Honduras, the natal country of 48,818 Louisiana residents, followed by Mexico with 27,788 and Vietnam with 17,351.

Foreign-Born Population

7.55%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

16.8k people

7.33%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

16.4k people

As of 2024, 7.55% of Baton Rouge, LA residents (16.8k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Baton Rouge, LA was 7.33%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Baton Rouge, LA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
2,388 ± 364
Gulf War (2001-)
1,208 ± 414
Gulf War (1990s)
955 ± 300

Baton Rouge, LA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.98 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Baton Rouge, LA.

Economy

The economy of Baton Rouge, LA employs 99.7k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Baton Rouge, LA were Health Care & Social Assistance (15,161 people), Educational Services (12,999 people), and Retail Trade (12,517 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($73,318), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($71,364), and Public Administration ($60,633).

Employment

Occupations

99.7k

2024 Value

± 3,245

−2.16%

1 Year decline

± 4.69%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Baton Rouge, LA declined at a rate of −2.16%, from 102k employees to 99.7k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Baton Rouge, LA, are Sales & Related Occupations (10,806 people), Management Occupations (9,813 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (9,294 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Baton Rouge, LA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Louisiana.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Louisiana (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

99.7k

2024 Value

± 3,245

−2.16%

1 Year decline

± 4.69%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Baton Rouge, LA declined at a rate of −2.16%, from 102k employees to 99.7k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Baton Rouge, LA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (15,161 people), Educational Services (12,999 people), and Retail Trade (12,517 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Baton Rouge, LA, though some of these residents may live in Baton Rouge, LA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$47,484

Median earning men ± $2,482

$30,669

Median earning women ± $1,209

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($80,568), Public Administration ($78,231), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($71,004).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($87,361), Public Administration ($53,636), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($43,169).

Education

The student population of Baton Rouge, LA in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 25,017 male students and 38,819 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Baton Rouge, LA are White (6,773 and 53.8%), Black or African American (3,999 and 31.8%), Hispanic or Latino (815 and 6.48%), and Asian (500 and 3.97%).

The largest universities in Baton Rouge, LA by number of degrees awarded are Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College (8,198 and 63.1%), Baton Rouge Community College (2,194 and 16.9%), and Southern University and A & M College (1,326 and 10.2%).

The most popular majors in Baton Rouge, LA are General Studies (985 and 7.58%), Law (453 and 3.49%), and Management Science (442 and 3.4%).

The median tuition costs are $16,427 for private four year colleges, and $6,506 and $10,181 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Baton Rouge, LA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 60.5%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 22.4%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 63,836 (39.2% men and 60.8% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 63,836 students enrolled in Baton Rouge, LA, 39.2% men and 60.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 28,751 records, of which 56% were women and 44% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Physical Education Teaching & Coaching
404 degrees awarded
General Biological Sciences
397 degrees awarded
Mass Communication & Media Studies
333 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Baton Rouge, LA was Physical Education Teaching & Coaching with 404 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Baton Rouge, LA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
8,198 degrees awarded
Baton Rouge Community College
2,194 degrees awarded
Southern University and A & M College
1,326 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College with 8,198 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 5,061 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Baton Rouge, LA, which is 0.638 times less than the 7,928 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 6,773 degrees mean that there were 1.69 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 3,999 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($16,427) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($4,433) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($1,300) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Baton Rouge, LA was $234,700 in 2024, which is 0.705 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $224,500 to $234,700, a 4.54% increase. The homeownership rate in Baton Rouge, LA is 47.8%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Baton Rouge, LA have an average commute time of 21 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Baton Rouge, LA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$234,700

Median Property Value 2024

±$6,832

$42,151

Median Property Taxes

±$1,789

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Baton Rouge, LA the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Baton Rouge, LA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

47.8%

Homeownership

2024

65.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 47.8% of the housing units in Baton Rouge, LA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 46.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Baton Rouge, LA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$49,994

Median Household Income

± $2,546

88.2k

Number of Households

± 2,876

In 2024, the median household income of the 88.2k households in Baton Rouge, LA grew to $49,994 from the previous year's value of $49,944.

The following chart displays the households in Baton Rouge, LA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Baton Rouge, LA is from Louisiana.

0.464

2024 Wage GINI in Louisiana

0.465

2023 Wage GINI in Louisiana

In 2024, the income inequality in Louisiana was 0.464 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.265% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Louisiana was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Louisiana in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Louisiana across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (74.1%)
Carpooled (11%)
Worked At Home (8.19%)

In 2024, 74.1% of workers in Baton Rouge, LA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11%) and those who worked at home (8.19%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

21 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Baton Rouge, LA have a shorter commute time (21 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.61% of the workforce in Baton Rouge, LA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Baton Rouge, LA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Baton Rouge, LA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Baton Rouge, LA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

25.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Baton Rouge, LA (53.7k out of 209k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Baton Rouge, LA is Black, followed by White and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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