Baton Rouge vs Lafayette
Baton Rouge, Louisiana versus Lafayette, Louisiana: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Baton Rouge and Lafayette score about the same overall (46 vs 47 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Baton Rouge | Lafayette |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $50k | $59k |
| Cost of Living | $49k | $44k |
| Home Value | $218k | $235k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.59% | 0.58% |
| Income Tax | 4.30% | 4.30% |
| Sales Tax | 9.56% | 9.56% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 10.00% | 9.76% |
| Unemployment | 8.6% | 6.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 52°F | 53°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 83°F | 83°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 66.6 in | 64.7 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 261 days | 261 days |
| Summer Humidity | 74°F | 74°F |
| Comfortable Days | 109 days | 119 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 70.3 | 85.0 |
| Air Quality | 49 AQI | 46 AQI |
| School Quality | 63.8 | 44.4 |
| Violent Crime | 2663/100k | 1082/100k |
| Property Crime | 5861/100k | 4388/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 225,500 | 121,706 |
| Median Age | 31.9 | 36.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.58 | 0.54 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.92 | 0.96 |
| Political Leaning | D+13 | R+29 |
| White (%) | 35.8% | 59.5% |
| Black (%) | 52.4% | 29.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 4.4% | 5.2% |
| Asian (%) | 3.8% | 2.4% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.6% | 3.9% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 22 min | 20 min |
| Walkability | 8.5/20 | 10.1/20 |
| Airport Distance | 60 mi | 108 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 86.5% | 89.9% |
| Amenities Nearby | 15.83 | 16.84 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Baton Rouge or Lafayette more affordable?
- Lafayette has the lower cost of living: its index is $44k, compared with Baton Rouge's $49k and Lafayette's $44k. Median rent is $1k in Baton Rouge versus $1k in Lafayette.
- Is Baton Rouge or Lafayette safer?
- Lafayette has the lower violent crime rate. Baton Rouge reports 2663/100k and Lafayette reports 1082/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Baton Rouge or Lafayette?
- The median home value is $218k in Baton Rouge and $235k in Lafayette, so homes are more affordable in Baton Rouge.