Baton Rouge vs New Orleans
Baton Rouge, Louisiana versus New Orleans, 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 New Orleans score about the same overall (46 vs 48 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Baton Rouge | New Orleans |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $50k | $51k |
| Cost of Living | $49k | $47k |
| Home Value | $218k | $282k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.59% | 0.79% |
| Income Tax | 4.30% | 4.30% |
| Sales Tax | 9.56% | 9.56% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 10.00% | 11.81% |
| Unemployment | 8.6% | 8.4% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 52°F | 54°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 83°F | 84°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 66.6 in | 58.7 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 261 days | 213 days |
| Summer Humidity | 74°F | 74°F |
| Comfortable Days | 109 days | 130 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 70.3 | 77.5 |
| Air Quality | 49 AQI | 46 AQI |
| School Quality | 63.8 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 2663/100k | 2811/100k |
| Property Crime | 5861/100k | 4641/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 225,500 | 380,408 |
| Median Age | 31.9 | 37.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.58 | 0.57 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.92 | 0.90 |
| Political Leaning | D+13 | D+69 |
| White (%) | 35.8% | 30.8% |
| Black (%) | 52.4% | 56.7% |
| Hispanic (%) | 4.4% | 5.7% |
| Asian (%) | 3.8% | 2.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.6% | 4.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 22 min | 23 min |
| Walkability | 8.5/20 | 17.4/20 |
| Airport Distance | 60 mi | 12 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 86.5% | 81.5% |
| Amenities Nearby | 15.83 | 26.45 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Excellent |
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 New Orleans more affordable?
- New Orleans has the lower cost of living: its index is $47k, compared with Baton Rouge's $49k and New Orleans's $47k. Median rent is $1k in Baton Rouge versus $1k in New Orleans.
- Is Baton Rouge or New Orleans safer?
- Baton Rouge has the lower violent crime rate. Baton Rouge reports 2663/100k and New Orleans reports 2811/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Baton Rouge or New Orleans?
- The median home value is $218k in Baton Rouge and $282k in New Orleans, so homes are more affordable in Baton Rouge.