Jackson vs Baton Rouge
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $111,700 in Jackson and $234,700 in Baton Rouge.
- Households earn more in Baton Rouge ($49,994 vs $42,071 median).
- Baton Rouge has the warmer winter: January highs of 62°F vs 57°F.
- Baton Rouge is growing faster: -1.7% since 2020 vs -8.1%.
Side by side
| Jackson, MS | Baton Rouge, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 141,196 | 222,795 |
| Growth since 2020 | -8.1% | -1.7% |
| People per square mile | 1,264 | 2,563 |
| Median age | 34.5 | 31.5 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29% | 37% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $42,071 | $49,994 |
| Median home value | $111,700 | $234,700 |
| Home value to income | 2.7× | 4.7× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,055 | $1,067 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 89.0 | 90.8 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 64.8 | 74.2 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $66,800 | $68,100 |
| Homeowners | 49% | 48% |
| Top state income tax | 4% | 3% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.06% | 10.13% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 19.9 | 21.0 |
| Work from home | 9% | 8% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 9.3% | 9.2% |
| Poverty rate | 27.9% | 25.7% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 57° / 37° | 62° / 42° |
| July high / low | 92° / 72° | 92° / 74° |
| Precipitation per year | 57 in | 62 in |
| Snowfall per year | 1 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 85 | 96 |
| Nights below freezing | 40 | 18 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 94.3 | 98.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 46% | 36% |
| Home prices, past year | +1.8% | +2.8% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +29.3% | +24.4% |
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: Jackson: May and October to November. Baton Rouge: February to March and November.
Full monthly tables: Jackson weather by month and Baton Rouge weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $66,800 in Jackson and $68,100 in Baton Rouge. Moving from Jackson to Baton Rouge, you would need about $76,500 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Jackson and Baton Rouge
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Jackson and Baton Rouge.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.