Baton Rouge cost of living
Prices in the Baton Rouge, LA metro area run at 90.8 against a national average of 100, ranking it #275 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 74.2.
What drives the number
Prices in Baton Rouge run at 90.8 where the national average is 100, so about 9.2 per cent below the country as a whole. It ranks #275 of 387 metro areas. Against Louisiana as a whole it is 2.6 points more expensive, which is the usual direction: cities cost more than the states around them.
Housing is unusually cheap relative to everything else here. Rents sit at 74.2 against goods at 93.7 and other services at 71.2, so the overall figure of 90.8 understates how affordable the housing itself is. That combination, ordinary prices with cheap rent, is what people are usually looking for and rarely find. Goods at 93.7 are themselves 6.3 points off national, which is a wide gap for a category that is mostly shipped in.
A salary here goes further than the same salary somewhere at 100. Divide by 90.8 and multiply by 100 to get the nationally comparable figure, and it will come out higher than the headline.
The vertical line is the national average of 100. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, SARPP, 2024.
What the biggest local jobs are really worth
The same pay buys different amounts in different places, so a salary quoted in Baton Rouge is not comparable to one quoted elsewhere until it is divided by the local parity. These are the occupations that employ the most people here, with the quoted median alongside what that median is worth at national prices.
| Occupation | Employed | Median pay | Worth nationally | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cashiers | 9,720 | $25,080 | $27,621 | $31,190 |
| Retail Salespersons | 9,390 | $29,290 | $32,258 | $34,580 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 8,490 | $35,530 | $39,130 | $38,940 |
| General and Operations Managers | 7,930 | $106,210 | $116,971 | $102,950 |
| Registered Nurses | 7,930 | $78,210 | $86,134 | $93,600 |
| Construction Laborers | 7,680 | $43,110 | $47,478 | $46,730 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 7,470 | $21,710 | $23,910 | $34,900 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 6,770 | $23,280 | $25,639 | $30,480 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 90.8.
Nearby metro areas
| Metro area | All items | Rents | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington | 92.7 | 85.4 | #221 |
| New Orleans-Metairie | 92.6 | 86.0 | #228 |
| Lafayette | 87.2 | 58.8 | #351 |
| Lake Charles | 85.9 | 51.8 | #370 |
| Alexandria | 85.7 | 53.7 | #373 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux | 85.1 | 51.3 | #379 |
Baton Rouge: common questions
Is Baton Rouge expensive?
Prices are 9.2% below the national average, a parity of 90.8 where the country is 100. It ranks #275 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against Louisiana as a whole it is 2.6 points more expensive.
What salary do you need in Baton Rouge?
The median worker there earns $47,940, which buys what $52,797 buys nationally once local prices are taken into account. Comparing a salary offer between cities without this adjustment is comparing nothing useful.
Is housing the reason?
Usually. Rents here are at 74.2 against goods at 93.7. Goods barely vary between American cities because most are shipped and priced nationally; housing varies enormously, and it dominates any cost of living comparison.