Louisiana · 67th largest metro area

Buying a home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

In Baton Rouge, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $234,700, East Baton Rouge Parish's effective property tax rate is 0.67%, and a purchase mortgage carried a median $6,175 in total loan costs in 2025.

Data as of : Census ACS 2020-2024, Census Vintage 2024, HMDA 2025, HUD FY 2027. Sources

Baton Rouge home costs, fact by fact

About Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has a city population of 220,907 in Census estimates, inside a metro area of 882,652 people. Owners live in 47.8% of homes, and median gross rent is $1,067 per month.

Reading the Baton Rouge figures

Baton Rouge lands almost on the Louisiana median: $234,700 for the city against $231,800 for the state. The other covered cities fall on both sides. Shreveport sits much lower, at $178,900, and Lafayette higher, near $257,000; New Orleans reaches $315,700 and Metairie goes to $327,500. Rent is $1,067 here, above Shreveport's $987 but under the $1,100 of Lafayette and the $1,251 of New Orleans.

Ownership is where Baton Rouge stands apart. Owners hold 47.8% of households, a smaller share than New Orleans shows with 51.2%, or Lafayette with 53.1%, or Shreveport with 53.3%. East Baton Rouge Parish levies 0.67% against a parish median of $248,800, a typical $1,656 a year. HUD's yardstick of $1,149 for the Baton Rouge HUD Metro FMR Area, with $1,456 as the larger-home figure, runs above the city's rent, though it is a benchmark and not a market figure.

Lenders recorded 3,384 loans in 2025 at a typical cost of $6,175, spread from $4,513 to $9,118. The metro, 67th in the country, totals 882,652 residents, with 220,907 in the city.

Calculate for Louisiana

If you buy

Louisiana state transfer tax

Louisiana has no state transfer tax; counties and cities may charge one. Change the price: the amount is recalculated instantly.

Price$231,800
State transfer tax$0
Share of the price—
Who paysThe seller

Default price: the Louisiana median value of owner-occupied homes, $231,800 (Census ACS 2025). Rule: No state tax. The New Orleans tax is a flat amount that does not depend on price. Who pays: The City Code names the seller as taxpayer in a cash sale or sale with concurrent mortgage. Civil Code art. 2463 puts other sale expenses on the buyer, so read the purchase agreement. Not included: county and city transfer taxes, the tax on the mortgage, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. Louisiana transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: Louisiana state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

Questions about buying a home in Baton Rouge

How much is property tax in Baton Rouge?

Homeowners in East Baton Rouge Parish pay a median $1,656 a year in property tax, 0.67% of the county median home value of $248,800 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Baton Rouge?

Home-purchase mortgages in East Baton Rouge Parish carried median total loan costs of $6,175 in 2025; half of the 3,384 loans fell between $4,513 and $9,118 (HMDA). Total loan costs are the lender and settlement-service charges of the Closing Disclosure; transfer taxes and prepaid items come on top.

Is there a transfer tax when you buy a home in Baton Rouge?

Louisiana has no state transfer tax; its Constitution bars any new state or local tax on the sale of real estate after November 30, 2011. New Orleans keeps an older documentary transaction tax of $300 on the sale of a single-family home under the City Code, paid by the seller.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Baton Rouge?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Baton Rouge ($234,700) equals 18.3 years of the median gross rent ($1,067 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

What natural hazards affect home insurance in Baton Rouge?

Across Louisiana, the main hazards for home insurance are flood, hurricane wind and hail, and the insurer of last resort is Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. A standard Louisiana homeowners policy does not cover flood; the NFIP covers up to $250,000 for a house and $100,000 for contents, and Louisiana Citizens runs the Coastal Plan and the FAIR Plan.

Run your own numbers: rent vs buy calculator · closing costs calculator.

Louisiana rules that apply in Baton Rouge

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Sources

Louisiana · All states · Federal guides