Cost of living in Baton Rouge research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Baton Rouge is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Louisiana, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Baton Rouge is 95, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Baton Rouge is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Baton Rouge ranks as the #75 cheapest in Louisiana out of 109.
Baton Rouge ranks as the #2,449 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Baton Rouge is $191,100.
The median income in Baton Rouge is $46,282.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Baton Rouge has an overall cost of living index of 95, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Louisiana, Baton Rouge has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than Louisiana's index of 92.
The standard of living in Baton Rouge ranks as #75 most affordable out of the 109 places we measured in Louisiana. By definition, that implies Baton Rouge ranks as the #34 most expensive place in the Pelican State.
For more reading on life in Baton Rouge, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Baton Rouge. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Baton Rouge is 105.
The Groceries index in Baton Rouge is 97.
The Health index in Baton Rouge is 102.
The Housing index in Baton Rouge is 86.
The Transportation index in Baton Rouge is 95.
The Utilities index in Baton Rouge is 79.
Living Expense | Baton Rouge | Louisiana | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 95 | 92 | 100 | |
Services | 105 | 96 | 100 | |
Groceries | 97 | 96 | 100 | |
Health | 102 | 99 | 100 | |
Housing | 86 | 83 | 100 | |
Transportation | 95 | 96 | 100 | |
Utilities | 79 | 86 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Louisiana, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Baton Rouge is $191,100.
The Median Rent in Baton Rouge is $937.
The Median Income in Baton Rouge is $46,282.
The Home Value To Income in Baton Rouge is 4.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Baton Rouge is 0.24x.
Statistic | Baton Rouge | Louisiana | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $191,100 | $174,000 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $937 | $923 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $46,282 | $53,571 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 4.1x | 3.2x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.24x | 0.21x | 0.2x |
Item | Baton Rouge | Louisiana |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.27 | $1.06 |
Movie | $11.39 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $16.89 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $21.11 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $50.62 | $39.05 |
Item | Baton Rouge | Louisiana |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $3.95 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.42 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.65 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.78 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $8.52 | $10.62 |
Beer | $9.41 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.79 | $2.34 |
Item | Baton Rouge | Louisiana |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $127.76 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $114.78 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $104.33 | $99.13 |
Item | Baton Rouge | Louisiana |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $1.89 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $56.91 | $50.07 |
Item | Baton Rouge | Louisiana |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $101.95 | $167.67 |
Phone | $178.98 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Baton Rouge. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Prairieville, LA has a cost of living index of 104, 1.1x Baton Rouge.
Central, LA has a cost of living index of 96, 1.0x Baton Rouge.
Shenandoah, LA has a cost of living index of 108, 1.1x Baton Rouge.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Baton Rouge |
---|---|---|---|
Prairieville, LA | 34,118 | 104 | 1.1x |
Central, LA | 29,746 | 96 | 1.0x |
Shenandoah, LA | 20,068 | 108 | 1.1x |
Zachary, LA | 19,278 | 101 | 1.1x |
Baker, LA | 12,736 | 90 | 0.9x |
Gardere, LA | 10,971 | 94 | 1.0x |
Oak Hills Place, LA | 9,201 | 111 | 1.2x |
Merrydale, LA | 8,889 | 89 | 0.9x |
Village St. George, LA | 8,786 | 97 | 1.0x |
St. Gabriel, LA | 7,046 | 91 | 1.0x |