CONTENTS

COMMUNITY OVERVIEW

Baton Rouge is evolving. 

We have long heard the story of a city divided into north and south. But data show us that a new, more diverse subcommunity is forming in the area east of Airline Highway and south of Interstate 12. This region’s residents align with the overall demographic split of the parish more closely than any other area of East Baton Rouge. 

In this microcosm where 46% of the residents are white, 37% are Black, 7% are Hispanic, and 5% Asian, we can peek at our city’s diverse and thriving future. Residents in this area were more likely to trust their neighbors, have positive things to say about Baton Rouge, and to volunteer than any other region in the parish.

demographics

  • 450,544

  • 65%

  • 52.3%

  • $61,387

  • 34.2

  • 60.2%

Race/Hispanic Origin

47.3% / White alone

47.2% / Black or African American alone

0.3% / American Indian & Alaska Native alone

3.5% / Asian alone

1.6% / Two or More Races

4.8% / Hispanic or Latino

For the second year in a row, EBR saw a positive in net migration, with 2,131 more people moving into the parish than out in 2022.

Unemployment in 2022 was 3.2%, the lowest rate in 20 years.

EBR PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Digital downloads, computer logins, and total circulation for the library all saw a year over year increase.

BTR Airport

The number of passengers flying into or out of the Baton Rouge Metro Airport jumped 25% year over year.

Enplanements / 335,983

Deplanements / 332,193

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

Direction of parish

2023 saw the fewest number of people thinking the parish is going the wrong direction since we began tracking this five years ago.

Pace of progress

The number of people who feel the pace of progress in the parish is too slow has decreased by nearly 20% since last year.

the great PARTY divide

In EBR, 92% of all registered Republicans are white; only 3% are Black. Accordingly, Black people account for 74% of registered Democratic voters. Voters without a registered party are distributed more evenly, with 52% white, 36% Black, and 12% other.

Volunteering

In the past 12 months, only one in 10 EBR residents has volunteered with a charity or social welfare association, neighborhood association or crime watch group, or a parent’s association like the PTO or PTA.

QUALITY OF LIFE

What makes East Baton Rouge Parish a great place to live?

The top answers for all ages, political affiliations, races, and regions were responses about people. The second and third most common answers pertained to culture and economy, respectively.

The only demographic group that does not follow this pattern are men, who note economic conditions nearly as often as people-related answers.

Friendship

How many close friends would you say you have?

6

Average number of close friends per East Baton Rouge Parish resident

Which improvements could help make Baton Rouge more appealing to newcomers?

24

Average work commute in minutes

6,568

Acres of public parks

POVERTY

113

Miles of public trails

ECONOMIC PROSPERITY

Financial insecurity

Did you experience any of the following circumstances growing up? 

Your family could not pay a water or electricity bill.

Your family was evicted from a home you lived in.

You qualified to receive free or reduced lunch at school.

In thinking about your current financial situation, how difficult is it for you to pay your bills each month? 

EBR residents have difficulty paying monthly bills.

If an unexpected expense of $2,000 arose in the next month, how confident are you that you could cover that expense?

EBR residents do not feel prepared to weather unexpected expenses.

Generational wealth

Have you already or do you expect to inherit $10k or more?  

Do you -or does a spouse/partner- have a 401k or retirement plan? 

1 IN 3 EBR RESIDENTS ARE PREPARED FOR RETIREMENT VIA COMMON TOOLS

Alice Data

ALICE means Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. The term refers to families and individuals who work one or more jobs, but whose incomes do not sufficiently meet basic needs. In East Baton Rouge Parish, 55% of households are classified as ALICE.

EXCELLENT EDUCATION

Pre-k enrollment 

Pre-K participation in East Baton Rouge made a big rebound this year with 50.3% enrollment. Despite seeing gains, 2022 values remain well below the parish’s average enrollment over the last decade.

LEAP Tests 

Fourth grade students in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System have almost returned to pre-pandemic testing levels in three of four subjects, while 8th graders have only rebounded in half. On average, fewer than one third of EBRPSS students achieved passing grades on LEAP tests, earning a “Mastery” or “Advanced” level score.

PASSAGE RATES
PRE-K ENROLLMENT (% OF 3 & 4 YEAR OLDS)*

hiGH SCHOOL ENROLLMENT

GRADuATES

High school graduation rates are fairly steady across the parish. The Zachary School system achieved 95% graduation for an impressive three consecutive years.

H.S. Diploma or more
Bachelor's or more

RESILIENT COMMUNiTIES

STORM DAMAGE

Residents’ homes have flooded due to natural disasters

Residents’ current homes have sustained structural damage due to natural disasters

preparedness

Have purchased a backup generator for their home

Have stockpiled food and water to prepare for a natural disaster

energy

Do you believe that making South Louisiana’s energy grid less likely to break down is an important investment?

Do you believe that solar power is a reliable option for helping to power homes in Baton Rouge?

Power Outages

What is the longest number of days you have been without power at your home in East Baton Rouge Parish?

SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS

Crime        

East Baton Rouge saw a 25% decrease in homicides year over year, though the parish average remains well above the national average of 8.2 homicides per 100,000 residents.

Homicides per 100,000 residents

EBR experienced its highest overall rate of reported crime since 2016, though the number of violent offenses did not increase.

Neighborhood safety

In your own personal experience, would you say that the neighborhood where you live is getting better or getting worse as a place to live?

48% 

do not feel safe walking alone in their own neighborhood at night

Criminal justice

Has anyone in your family served time in jail or prison after being convicted of or pleading guilty to a crime?

IMPACTED BY CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

Police relations

trust

Trust in our community is low for a quarter or more of all people. This is true neighbor to neighbor (24%) and citizen to law enforcement (30%).

Generally speaking, would you say most people can be trusted or that you cant be too careful?

HEALTHY FAMILIES

Wellness check

About how long has it been since you last visited a doctor for a routine checkup?

Physical health

How many of the past 30 days would you say your physical health was not good?

Mental health

How many of the past 30 days would you say your mental health was not good?

Infant mortality

The rate in Baton Rouge is twice the national average and has been relatively unchanged for two decades. East Baton Rouge has the highest reported rate of infant mortality in the state, accounting for 11% of statewide infant deaths in 2021.

INDICATOR INDEX

  • Computer Use (EBR Parish Library): Number of logins to the library system’s public terminals.

    Deplanement (BTR Metro Airport): Number of people arriving in Baton Rouge via airplane.

    Digital Circulation (EBR Parish Library): Downloaded books, audiobooks, magazines and other digital media.

    Employment (Louisiana Workforce Commission): Number of people employed in East Baton Rouge Parish and the unemployment rate in EBR.

    Enplanement (BTR Metro Airport): Number of people leaving Baton Rouge via airplane.

    Library circulation (EBR Parish Library): Total circulation of physical books, digital media, online books and audio.

    Net migration (U.S. Census Bureau): Number of people moving into East Baton Rouge parish minus the number who leave.

    Median Household Income (U.S. Census Bureau): Median is the amount that divides the income distribution into two equal groups, half with income above and half with income below. Family is a household related through blood, marriage or adoption.

  • Direction of Parish (Survey): Is the parish going in the right or wrong direction?

    Pace of Progress (Survey): Respondents say whether the pace of progress is “too slow,” “about right,” or “too fast.”

    Volunteering (Survey): Number of residents participating in common forms of community volunteering.

    Party Affiliation (Louisiana Secretary of State): The democratic, republican, or independent party affiliation of registered voters in East Baton Rouge Parish.

  • Acres of Public Parks (BREC): Total acreage of parks maintained by BREC.

    Commute (U.S. Census Bureau): Average one-way commute to work in minutes.

    Drawing Newcomers (Survey): What Baton Rouge could improve to draw people to live in the parish.

    Friendship (Survey): How many close friends respondents said they had.

    Miles of Public Trails (BREC): Trails are off-road and the amount does not include on- road bike paths.

    Poverty Rates (U.S. Census Bureau): Percent of people living in poverty under the federal definition. Federal thresholds for poverty include age of family members and size of family.

    Why EBR (Survey): What is the best part of living in East Baton Rouge.

  • ALICE (United Way): An acronym for “Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed”. Refers to people with a job(s) but low financial security.

    Childhood Circumstances (Survey): Experiences with financial insecurity during childhood.

    Financial Insecurity (Survey): Confidence in ability to pay expected and unexpected expenses.

    Generational Wealth (Survey): Whether or not someone expects to inherit $10,000 from one generation to another.

    Retirement Tools (Survey): Whether people are preparing for retirement through common financial tools like a 401(k).

  • Graduates (Louisiana Department of Education): Percent of residents with high school degrees and college degrees.

    High School Graduation Rate (Louisiana Department of Education): Percent of students who complete high school in four years.

    LEAP Tests (Louisiana Department of Education): Percentage of EBRPSS students in 4th and 8th grades achieving a rating of “basic” or above on state standardized testing.

    Pre-K Enrollment (U.S. Census Bureau): Percent of 3- and 4-year-olds enrolled in pre-k programs.

    School Enrollment (Louisiana Department of Education): Total enrollment in public school systems and all parish private schools.

  • Energy Grid (Survey): Percent of people who believe investments need to be made in the state’s energy grid to improve resilience.

    Power Outages (Survey): Duration of power outages for East Baton Rouge residents.

    Preparedness (Survey): Percent of people who have taken precautionary measures ahead of natural disasters.

    Solar Power (Survey): Percent of people who believe solar power is feasible in East Baton Rouge Parish.

    Storm Damage (Survey): Percent of people whose current homes have incurred water damage or other structural damage.

  • Crimes (Various public safety departments): Number of violent and nonviolent crimes in the calendar year.

    Justice-involved (Survey): Percent of people with family members who have served time in jail or prison after a conviction of guilt.

    Neighborhood Improvement (Survey): Whether people think their neighborhood is getting better, getting worse, or staying stagnant.

    Neighborhood Safety (Survey): Percent of people who feel safe walking in their neighborhood unaccompanied.

    Police Relations (Survey): Perceptions of police efficacy, fairness, and accountability.

    Total homicides (EBR law enforcement agencies): Number of murders in a calendar year.

  • Chronic Disease (CDC + Survey): Health condition that lasts 1 year or more.

    Infant Mortality Rate (Louisiana Department of Health): Number of deaths per thousand infants under 12 months of age.

    Wellness (Survey): How regularly a person sees a doctor for routine (non-sick) care.

PERCENTAGES

In some instances, percentages of all responses add up to a value that does not equal 100%. This is due to mathematical rounding rules for whole numbers.

SURVEY REGIONS

East: The area of Baton Rouge containing the following zip codes: 70815, 70816, 70817, and 70819.

North: The area of Baton Rouge containing the following zip codes: 70801, 70802, 70805, 70806, 70807, 70811, 70812, 70813, and 70814.

Outlying: The area of Baton Rouge containing the following zip codes: 70714, 70722, 70739, 70748, 70770, 70777, 70791, and 70818.

South: The area of Baton Rouge containing the following zip codes: 70803, 70808, 70809, 70810, 70820, and 70836.