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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Baton Rouge, LA

Population: 225,500 (2022) · Mid-Size Cities (100K–250K)

B
75/100

Good fiscal health — above-average across most metrics

Total Spending
$9.9B
Per Capita
$43,886
Total Revenue
$19.3B
Total Debt
$0

Spending Breakdown

Other
32.3%$3.2B
Housing & Community Development
16.1%$1.6B
Hospitals
10.8%$1.1B
General Administration
10.2%$1.0B
Public Welfare
6.1%$606.8M
Utilities
5.5%$544.2M
Health
4.7%$464.0M
Police
4.1%$410.3M
Interest on Debt
4.0%$391.2M
Fire Protection
2.6%$257.0M
Parks & Recreation
1.7%$171.0M
Highways & Roads
1.3%$132.8M
Sewerage
0.5%$53.2M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Sales Tax
0.6%$110.0M
Income Tax
2.7%$517.7M
Intergovernmental
1.1%$214.1M
Other
8.9%$1.7B

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police$1,820/person
Fire Protection$1,140/person
Highways & Roads$589/person
Parks & Recreation$758/person
Health$2,058/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)100/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)0/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Compare Cities

See how Baton Rouge stacks up against another city.

vs New Orleans, LAvs Shreveport, LAvs Metairie, LA
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in Louisiana

New Orleans, LA

Pop. 380K

C
Total Spending
$12.5B
Per Capita
$32,984

Shreveport, LA

Pop. 186K

B
Total Spending
$3.2B
Per Capita
$17,313

Metairie, LA

Pop. 140K

C

Lafayette, LA

Pop. 122K

D
Total Spending
$3.7B
Per Capita
$30,028

Compare Baton Rouge With

New Orleans, LA

Spending: $32,984/person · Grade: C

Shreveport, LA

Spending: $17,313/person · Grade: B

Metairie, LA

Spending: $0/person · Grade: C

Lafayette, LA

Spending: $30,028/person · Grade: D

Frequently Asked Questions

Baton Rouge, LA spends $43,886 per resident, based on total expenditures of $9.9B for a population of 225,500. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of B (75/100).

Baton Rouge, LA has total expenditures of $9.9B and total revenue of $19.3B. The city carries $0 in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Baton Rouge, LA employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Baton Rouge, LA has a Fiscal Health Score of B (75/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

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