Baton Rouge, Louisiana Population 2023

217,665

Baton Rouge is a city located in East Baton Rouge Parish Louisiana. It is also the county seat of East Baton Rouge Parish. With a 2023 population of 217,665, it is the 2nd largest city in Louisiana and the 106th largest city in the United States.Baton Rouge is currently declining at a rate of -1.02% annually and its population has decreased by -3.04% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 224,480 in 2020. Spanning over 89 miles, Baton Rouge has a population density of 2,518 people per square mile.

The average household income in Baton Rouge is $70,902 with a poverty rate of 28.56%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Baton Rouge is 32 years, 29.6 years for males, and 34.2 years for females.

Baton Rouge is the capital of Louisiana and located in East Baton Rouge Parish along the Mississippi River. The city is a large research, medical, technology and industrial center of the South. Baton Rouge is located 157 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico and 80 miles out of New Orleans.

Baton Rouge Diversity Statistics

It's very common to hear a French accent in Baton Rouge today, with more than one-third of the population of Louisiana having French ancestry. Interestingly, Baton Rouge did not develop ethnic neighborhoods like most developing cities but instead settlement based on wealth. This led Asians, Cajuns, Italians, and other Europeans to live side-by-side, although the black community was the exception.

Over the last 50 years, there has been a great deal of migration of black people from the rural areas to the urban area of Baton Rouge. In 1960, the city was only 30% black.

Baton Rouge Population Growth

Baton Rouge has been one of the fastest-growing cities in the South with a population that exploded briefly after Hurricane Katrina when it accepted about 200,000 displaced residents. It is still one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the country among areas with a population under one million. Last year, the city was ranked number one in the country for economic growth.

The city is now experiencing stagnant population growth while the suburbs are proliferating. In 2013, the city's population was 229,400, about 580 less than the previous year and 0.03% down from 2010.

Baton Rouge Facts

  • Baton Rouge is French for "Red Stick"
  • Baton Rouge has been under seven governments: French, English, Spanish, West Floridian, Louisiana, Confederate, and American.
  • Baton Rouge was an independent republic for 74 days.
  • The city's port is the 9th largest in the U.S. in terms of shipped tonnage.
  • Baton Rouge's State Capital Building is the tallest in the country.

The area of Baton Rouge has been inhabited since at least 8000 BC, with mounds built by hunter-gatherers that are more than 1,000 years older than the pyramids of Egypt.

The history of modern-day Baton Rouge goes back to 1699 when a French explorer named Sieur d'Iberville led an expedition party up the Mississippi River and found a red-colored cypress pole with bloody animals marking the boundary between tribal hunting grounds. This pole and the area were called le baton rouge, or the red stick. In 1719, Baton Rouge was established as a French military outpost.

The French lost Baton Rouge to the British under the Treaty of Paris in 1736 but maintained a fort through 1779. It was then that the Spanish governor in New Orleans sent an army to the city and captured it from the British. It then stayed under Spanish rule until 1810 when residents -- primarily Anglo-Americans -- took the city and proclaimed the Republic of West Florida. Baton Rouge was an independent republic for 74 days until the Americans in New Orleans raised the American flag.

Baton Rouge was incorporated in 1817 and became the capital of the state in 1849. By the end of the Civil War, it had a population of 5,500, which grew to more than 10,000 by 1893.

Baton Rouge Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Baton Rouge was:

  • Black or African American: 53.45%
  • White: 38.05%
  • Asian: 3.7%
  • Two or more races: 2.33%
  • Other race: 2.04%
  • Native American: 0.29%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.13%
The current population of Baton Rouge, Louisiana is 217,665 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 224,480.

Baton Rouge, Louisiana Population 2023

Population by Race

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Black or African American

White

Asian

Two or more races

Other race

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Baton Rouge Population by Race

Baton Rouge Population Pyramid 2023

Baton Rouge Median Age

32

Total

29.6

Male

34.2

Female

Baton Rouge Adults

There are 174,761 adults, (32,703 of whom are seniors) in Baton Rouge.

Baton Rouge Age Dependency

56.4

Age Dependency Ratio

23

Old Age Dependency Ratio

33.4

Child Dependency Ratio

Baton Rouge Sex Ratio

Female117,51752.89%
Male104,67447.11%

Baton Rouge Population by Age

Baton Rouge Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

3.51

Average Family Size

2.51

Average Household Size

49.9%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Baton Rouge Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Baton Rouge Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Baton Rouge Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 71.91%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among 2+ races people with a rate of 48.82%.

Baton Rouge Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$35,978

Average Earnings

$42,665

Average Male

$30,667

Average Female

Baton Rouge Earnings by Educational Attainment

Baton Rouge Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Baton Rouge Language

91.46% of Baton Rouge residents speak only English, while 8.54% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Asian and Pacific Island languages, which is spoken by 3.5% of the population.

Baton Rouge Language

Baton Rouge Poverty by Race

rate

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28.56%

Overall Poverty Rate

23.51%

Male Poverty Rate

25.18%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Baton Rouge

The race most likely to be in poverty in Baton Rouge is Other, with 68% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Baton Rouge is White, with 15.77% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 5.33%. Among those working part-time, it was 32.65%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 31.31%.

Baton Rouge Poverty

rate

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Baton Rouge Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Baton Rouge Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Baton Rouge Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Baton Rouge Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

30.9%

Overall Marriage Rate

33.3%

Male Marriage Rate

28.8%

Female Marriage Rate

Baton Rouge Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Baton Rouge Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.

Baton Rouge Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Baton Rouge Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

8,634

Number of Veterans

7,531

Male Veterans

1,103

Female Veterans

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Baton Rouge Veterans by War

count

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Baton Rouge Veterans by Age

count

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Baton Rouge Veterans by Race

Baton Rouge Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

13.1%

Veteran Poverty Rate

31.07%

Veteran Disability Rate

Baton Rouge Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

62.6%

Labor Force Participation

57%

Employment Rate

8.7%

Unemployment Rate

Baton Rouge Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Baton Rouge Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Baton Rouge Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

75.47%

Born in Baton Rouge

93.51%

Native Born

5.47%

Foreign Born

3.56%

Non Citizen

1.91%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

93.51% of Baton Rouge residents were born in the United States, with 75.47% having been born in Louisiana. 3.56% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.

Baton Rouge Place of Birth

Note: data after 2021 is projected based on recent change
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Baton Rouge Population by Year