Baton Rouge appears moderately affordable relative to its income and housing costs. With a median household income of $49,994 annually ($4,166 monthly), median gross rent of $1,067 represents about 25.6% of income, which is below the 30% affordability threshold. However, the uniform non-housing calculator baseline of $1,250 per month (a model assumption, not local data) exceeds the median rent, suggesting potential strain when combined with other costs. Affordability depends on individual circumstances and non-housing expenses not captured in citywide averages.
Baton Rouge at a glance
What the default budget models
A one-person renting household begins with a modeled annual core-cost baseline of $27,804. It combines the ACS median gross-rent estimate with a uniform $1,250 monthly non-housing baseline. State income tax is excluded until a current official reference is approved; the calculator labels that limitation instead of guessing.
| 2024 ACS population estimate | 222,771 |
| 2024 ACS median household income | $49,994 |
| 2024 ACS median gross rent | $1,067 |
| 2024 ACS median owner-occupied home value | $234,700 |
| Derived one-way commute estimate | 23 minutes |
| State-tax treatment | Excluded — official reference pending |
| Rent-to-income reference | 26% |
The trade-off
Relative strength: Median rent consumes ~26% of median income.. Watch closely: lower housing costs may reflect tradeoffs in job access or services..
Compare Baton Rouge
Frequently asked questions
Is Baton Rouge affordable for renters?
Median gross rent of $1,067 per month is about 25.6% of the median monthly household income ($4,166), which is below the 30% affordability benchmark. However, this citywide average does not reflect neighborhood variation or individual financial circumstances.
How does Baton Rouge's rent compare to income?
At $1,067 monthly, median gross rent is roughly 26% of the median household income of $4,166 per month. This ratio suggests housing is not excessively burdensome on average, but actual affordability varies by household and location within the city.
Source ledger
Every production input below is retained with its publisher and dataset. The ACS figures are five-year estimates, not live listings or guarantees.
- PopulationU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 ACS 5-Year B01003
- Median household incomeU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 ACS 5-Year B19013
- Median gross rentU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 ACS 5-Year B25064
- Median owner-occupied home valueU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 ACS 5-Year B25077
- Commute-time distributionU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 ACS 5-Year B08303
Interpretation: The ACS 2024 five-year estimates generally summarize observations across 2020–2024. The commute number is a weighted midpoint estimate from table B08303. State income tax is not included in the modeled take-home result. Verify a current address, quote, commute, and tax situation before making a decision.