Rents are right about where Baton Rouge's 10-year trend predicts.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,301 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
December. Asking rents in Baton Rouge usually run 0.5% below trend in December and 0.5% above it in August, about $13 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Baton Rouge is 0% below its high of $1,301 in August 2026, at $1,301 as of September 2026.
Rent in Baton Rouge changed +2.6% over the year to September 2026. Across the 36 Louisiana cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +3.9%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Baton Rouge rose 19.7% while median household income rose 12.4% ($44,470 to $49,994). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Baton Rouge is 25.9% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
30% of the median household income ($49,994) is $1,250 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 1-bedroom ($1,156); a 2-bedroom is $1,306.
The priciest of 11 ZIP codes in Baton Rouge, 70810 ($1,540/mo), costs 1.7 times the cheapest, 70805 ($925/mo).
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Baton Rouge. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Baton Rouge, LA is roughly split between renters and owners, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income below the national average, 36.6% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Baton Rouge, LA has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in Baton Rouge, LA has shifted from $1,079 to $1,301, up 20.6% since 2021. On the earnings side, the typical household in Baton Rouge, LA now reports about $49,994, up from $46,282 in 2021. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. Census counts show Baton Rouge, LA losing about 2,768 residents over the five-year window, down 1.2% on net. For context, the 2021 to 2026 window covers an unusually volatile run for US rents nationally, and Baton Rouge, LA reflects that arc in its own way.
Discussions about Baton Rouge
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Can you afford rent in Baton Rouge on your salary?
At $1,301/mo, how Baton Rouge rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Baton Rouge rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Baton Rouge. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Baton Rouge
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Baton Rouge is $1,301/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,135/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,306/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,156/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,634/mo.
At 31% of local median household income ($49,994/yr), Baton Rouge ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 2.6% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Baton Rouge?
At $1,301/mo, rent takes ~31% of Baton Rouge's median household income ($49,994/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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