Baton Rouge, Louisiana

What's the cost of living in Baton Rouge, LA?

Living in Baton Rouge is relatively cheap compared to other major U.S. metro areas, including New Orleans. The cost of living here is roughly on par with the national average, though. The median home sale price in Baton Rouge is lower than the national median. In addition, Louisiana boasts a low state and local income tax, making it one of the most tax-friendly states in the country.

What's the best way to get around Baton Rouge, LA?

If you live in Baton Rouge, you do need a car. While the Capital Area Transit System (CATS) offers bus transportation, service is limited. Taxis are not prevalent, though ride-sharing companies like Uber are available.

The high volume of drivers leads to heavy traffic, especially during the morning and afternoon rush hours. Baton Rouge's roadways are some of the most congested in the nation. While a movement to make biking a viable form of transportation has grown, the metro area still lacks the infrastructure to support it.

The small Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport sits less than 10 miles north of downtown and is serviced by American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines. Direct flights are available to destinations like Atlanta, Houston and Charlotte, North Carolina. Still, residents often choose to drive the 70 miles to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, which offers a greater number of flight options. Baton Rouge is also serviced by charter bus companies such as Greyhound.

Who lives in Baton Rouge, LA?

Baton Rouge is home to residents of a wide range of ages, from retired citizens who grew up in the area to young families just starting out to college students attending LSU, Southern University or Southeastern Louisiana University. About a quarter of the population is in their 20s and early 30s, and a little over a fourth of Baton Rouge households include children.

Like many Southern cities, Baton Rouge has a Bible-minded population and is home to a host of regular churchgoers; Catholicism and Evangelicalism are two of the metro area's most prominent religious sects. 

While Baton Rouge is home to a host of middle-class and upper-middle-class families, the city's poverty rate is 26 percent.

What is there to do in Baton Rouge, LA?

Baton Rouge is packed with avid LSU football fans who gather at Tiger Stadium to cheer on their SEC team. The metro area also has plenty of places for shopping, including the unique boardwalk-style Perkins Rowe. Nearby are the Louisiana State Museum, the castle-like Old State Capitol and the Nautical Center, featuring the Fletcher-class destroyer USS Kidd. The Baton Rouge Zoo sits north of downtown and exhibits more than 1,800 animals.

Golf courses, parks, playgrounds, running trails and dog parks are scattered throughout the area. Residents also like to cast their fishing lines into the nearby Gulf waters and go hunting at one of many nearby hunting grounds. The Baton Rouge River Center hosts concerts and other events right on the Mississippi River, while downtown serves residents nightlife with a string of bars and restaurants that line Third Street.