Kenner, LA vs Baton Rouge, LA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Baton Rouge, LA outspends Kenner, LA by a wide margin per resident — $43,886 versus $10,644, a 312% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Kenner, LA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 87/100 (grade A) against 75/100 (grade B) for Baton Rouge, LA — a 12-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Kenner, LA leads with parks and recreation at $662 per resident, while Baton Rouge, LA leads with health at $2,058.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 11% of total revenue in Kenner, LA and 9% in Baton Rouge, LA.
Summary
Baton Rouge spends 75.7% more per capita than Kenner ($33,242/person difference). Kenner, LA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 87/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $28 | $488 |
| Income Tax | $558 | $2,296 |
| Intergovernmental | $208 | $949 |
| Other | $1,293 | $7,610 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $187 | $1,820 |
| Fire Protection | $310 | $1,140 |
| Highways & Roads | $413 | $589 |
| Education | $174 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $505 | $2,691 |
| Health | $0 | $2,058 |
| Hospitals | $373 | $4,729 |
| Parks & Recreation | $662 | $758 |
| Housing | $2,763 | $7,045 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $236 |
| Utilities | $1,010 | $2,413 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,735 |
| General Admin | $0 | $4,492 |
| Other | $4,248 | $14,181 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.