Baton Rouge receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Baton Rouge
New Orleans
Opportunity
53 · Bottom 43%
vs43 · Bottom 22%
Growth
59 · Top 34%
vs34 · Bottom 23%
Climate
77 · Top 25%
vs78 · Top 20%
Physical resilience
47 · Bottom 39%
vs33 · Bottom 26%
Housing affordability
63 · Bottom 25%
vs55 · Bottom 14%
Schools
41 · Bottom 36%
vs35 · Bottom 29%
Access
70 · Bottom 12%
vs88 · Bottom 37%
Economic stability
31 · Bottom 7%
vs31 · Bottom 8%
Measured values
| Metric | Baton Rouge | New Orleans | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 222,771 | 371,853 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $49,994 | $56,631 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,731 | $40,662 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,562/sq mi | 2,194/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $234,700 | $315,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,067 | $1,251 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 47.8% | 51.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 5.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.0% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36.6% | 42.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 25.7% | 22.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,479 | 753 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.6 | 2.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -23.3% | 19.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 42°F | 47°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 61.9" | 60.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 53 mi | 20 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.8 min | 24.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 31.5 | 38.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 78 | 73 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.27 | 13.19 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 25.0% | 19.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 37.4% | 33.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 69.7% | 75.3% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Baton Rouge
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
New Orleans
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Baton Rouge
55
Your Score
55
Area Score
New Orleans
50
Your Score
47
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Baton Rouge, LA · New Orleans, LA · How this is calculated: methodology