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
New Orleans
Baton Rouge
Opportunity
43 · Bottom 22%
vs53 · Bottom 43%
Growth
34 · Bottom 23%
vs59 · Top 34%
Climate
78 · Top 20%
vs77 · Top 25%
Physical resilience
33 · Bottom 26%
vs47 · Bottom 39%
Housing affordability
55 · Bottom 14%
vs63 · Bottom 25%
Schools
35 · Bottom 29%
vs41 · Bottom 36%
Access
88 · Bottom 37%
vs70 · Bottom 12%
Economic stability
31 · Bottom 8%
vs31 · Bottom 7%
Measured values
| Metric | New Orleans | Baton Rouge | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 371,853 | 222,771 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $56,631 | $49,994 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,662 | $34,731 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,194/sq mi | 2,562/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $315,700 | $234,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,251 | $1,067 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 51.2% | 47.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% | 5.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.4% | 2.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42.4% | 36.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 22.6% | 25.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 753 | 1,479 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.0 | 6.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 19.5% | -23.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 92°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 47°F | 42°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 60.1" | 61.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 20 mi | 53 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.5 min | 22.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.8 | 31.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 73 | 78 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.19 | 13.27 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 19.7% | 25.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 33.0% | 37.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 75.3% | 69.7% | 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
New Orleans
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Baton Rouge
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.
New Orleans
50
Your Score
47
Area Score
Baton Rouge
55
Your Score
55
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: New Orleans, LA · Baton Rouge, LA · How this is calculated: methodology