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East Baton Rouge Parish has moved in the wrong direction on several key prosperity indicators, including median household income and unemployment, according to the Baton Rouge Area Foundation’s annual CityStats report.
The report shows median household income fell 5.6% from the prior survey, dropping from $62,803 in 2024 to $59,443 in 2025. Unemployment increased to 4.2% after holding at 3.2% in the previous two reports. The report notes it is difficult to determine whether the two trends are correlated or coincidental.
Other prosperity measures point to persistent challenges. More than 20% of East Baton Rouge Parish residents now live below the poverty line, up from 18.5% last year, and roughly one-quarter of children in the parish are living in poverty. Black families experience the highest poverty rates at 27.1%, nearly double those of many other racial groups.
Additional findings from the report include:
- About 28% of adults say they want their children to stay in East Baton Rouge Parish as adults, a 30% increase from last year.
- Nearly six in 10 residents say they are somewhat or very worried about housing costs.
- About 61% of residents are homeowners.
- The parish population stands at 453,022, up from 448,467 in the previous report.
- For the fourth straight year, reducing crime was cited as the top improvement needed to make Baton Rouge more appealing to newcomers.
- The share of residents who believe the parish is moving in the wrong direction rose to 48%, up from 43% last year.
- More than one-quarter of respondents reported difficulty affording balanced meals.
- Teen birth rates fell to 2% of total births.
- Overdose deaths declined by roughly 100 from the prior year.
- No cyclist fatalities were recorded in 2024 for the first time since 2013.
- The average commute time is 23 minutes.
- Passenger traffic at Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport increased nearly 11% from the prior year.
During a Q&A following the report’s presentation on Thursday, City-Parish Chief Administrative Officer Christel Slaughter said crime remains one of Mayor Sid Edwards’ top priorities and noted that all major crime indicators declined in 2025. She cited the lowest number of homicides since 2019 and an overall crime drop of 15%, adding that next year’s CityStats report should reflect those improvements. The survey was conducted in August 2025.
Earlier this month, Edwards attributed recent public safety gains to the hiring of former Baton Rouge Police Chief Jeff LeDuff as director of public safety, investments in technology and the creation of the Office of Violence Prevention.
“They are taking best practices from other places, which I think we desperately need to do more of,” Slaughter said. “I think we’re making inroads. We’re on a good trajectory.”
You can view the full report here.
