Baton Rouge vs Columbus
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $193,900 in Columbus and $234,700 in Baton Rouge.
- Households earn more in Columbus ($58,073 vs $49,994 median).
Side by side
| Baton Rouge, LA | Columbus, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 222,795 | 202,171 |
| Growth since 2020 | -1.7% | -2.3% |
| People per square mile | 2,563 | 934 |
| Median age | 31.5 | 35.4 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37% | 31% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $49,994 | $58,073 |
| Median home value | $234,700 | $193,900 |
| Home value to income | 4.7× | 3.3× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,067 | $1,106 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 90.8 | 89.3 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 74.2 | 61.2 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $68,100 | $67,000 |
| Homeowners | 48% | 51% |
| Top state income tax | 3% | 5.19% |
| Combined sales tax | 10.13% | 7.56% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 21.0 | 20.9 |
| Work from home | 8% | 12% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 9.2% | 6.3% |
| Poverty rate | 25.7% | 19% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 62° / 42° | 59° / 38° |
| July high / low | 92° / 74° | 93° / 74° |
| Precipitation per year | 62 in | 49 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 1 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 96 | 80 |
| Nights below freezing | 18 | 28 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 98.0 | 81.6 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 36% | 53% |
| Home prices, past year | +2.8% | +1.4% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +24.4% | +42.5% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Baton Rouge: February to March and November. Columbus: April to May and October to November.
Full monthly tables: Baton Rouge weather by month and Columbus weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $68,100 in Baton Rouge and $67,000 in Columbus. Moving from Baton Rouge to Columbus, you would need about $73,800 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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