Cost of living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Baton Rouge, Louisiana has about 222,771 people. That count is a 2020–2024 Census average, not a headcount from one day.

A typical home is worth about $234,700.

HUD's fair-market rent for a 2-bedroom in East Baton Rouge Parish is $1,149 a month. That is the county number, not an apartment listing in Baton Rouge. It runs from October 2026 through September 2027.

In the Baton Rouge, LA metro area, prices sit at 90.8 when the U.S. average is 100. That is a 2024 BEA index.

Louisiana taxes wages. A typical combined sales tax is 10.1% as of January 1, 2026. That mix is statewide, not Baton Rouge's exact store tax.

In July 2026, a typical Louisiana home paid 12.72¢ per kilowatt-hour. That is a state average from EIA, not Baton Rouge's bill.

EIA did not publish a 2025 all-grades gas price for Louisiana in the table we use.

Among 240 places we list in Louisiana with a rent figure, 82 have higher typical rent than Baton Rouge.