Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
A $225,000 home here costs
$1,854per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,157. The real number is $697 higher every month — 60% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Baton Rouge against East Baton Rouge Parish and Louisiana
| Measure | Baton Rouge | East Baton Rouge Parish |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $224,500 | $241,800 |
| Median property tax | $1,336 | $1,547 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.595% | 0.640% |
| Median gross rent | $1,044 | $1,121 |
| Population | 223,699 | 452,821 |
The weather behind that power bill
Baton Rouge sits in East Baton Rouge Parish, which averages a high of 92.2°F in its hottest month and a low of 41.6°F in its coldest, with 61.94" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,818 cooling and 1,534 heating degree days, which is what sets the $127 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for East Baton Rouge Parish — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in East Baton Rouge Parish
Full East Baton Rouge Parish cost breakdown · Every county in Louisiana
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Baton Rouge?
A $225,000 home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana costs approximately $1,854 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,157 principal and interest, $112 property tax, $203 homeowners insurance, $195 utilities and $188 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Baton Rouge?
Baton Rouge has an effective property tax rate of 0.595%, based on a median home value of $224,500 and median real estate taxes of $1,336. That is lower than the East Baton Rouge Parish average of 0.640%.
What is the average home price in Baton Rouge?
The median owner-occupied home value in Baton Rouge, Louisiana is $224,500, against $241,800 across East Baton Rouge Parish.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Baton Rouge?
Median gross rent in Baton Rouge is $1,044 a month, against $1,854 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Baton Rouge — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Louisiana.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.