The Baton Rouge metropolitan statistical area, as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget, or simply the Baton Rouge metropolitan area (also known as Greater Baton Rouge), is a metropolitan statistical area surrounding the city of Baton Rouge. Including the western edge of the Florida Parishes regions, it is known as "Plantation Country", the "Capital Region", and "The 225" (a reference to its area code).

At the 2010 U.S. census, the metropolitan area had a population of 802,484, up from 705,973 in 2000. At the 2020 census, its population increased to 870,569, up from 2020 estimates at 858,571.

Parishes ParishSeat2025 estimate2020 CensusChangeAreaDensityEast Baton RougeBaton RougeLivingstonLivingstonAscensionDonaldsonvilleIbervillePlaquemineWest Baton RougePort AllenAssumptionNapoleonvillePointe CoupeeNew RoadsEast FelicianaClintonWest FelicianaSt. FrancisvilleSt. HelenaGreensburgTotal

Communities

Places with more than 200,000 inhabitants Baton Rouge (principal city)

Places with 10,000 to 90,000 inhabitants

Baker Central Gardere (census-designated place) Gonzales Prairieville (census-designated place) Shenandoah (census-designated place) St. George Zachary

Places with 5,000 to 10,000 inhabitants

Addis Brownfields (census-designated place) Denham Springs Donaldsonville Inniswold (census-designated place) Merrydale (census-designated place) Monticello (census-designated place) Oak Hills Place (census-designated place) Old Jefferson (census-designated place) Plaquemine St. Gabriel Village St. George (census-designated place) Walker

Places with 1,000 to 5,000 inhabitants

Albany Brusly Clinton French Settlement Jackson Killian Livingston Livonia New Roads Port Allen St. Francisville Slaughter Sorrento Westminster (census-designated place) White Castle

Places with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants

Fordoche Greensburg Grosse Tête Maringouin Montpelier Morganza Norwood Port Vincent Rosedale Springfield Wilson

Unincorporated places

Abend Acy Alma Anchor Barmen Batchelor Bayou Goula Bayou Latenache Bayou Pigeon Baywood Belle Helene Blanks Bowden Brignac Brittany Brooks Bullion Burnside Chenal Cofield Columbo Colyell Coon Cornerview Darrow Duckroost Duplessis Dupont Dutchtown East Krotz Springs Erwinville Elliot City False River Frisco Galvez Geismar Glynn Hermitage Hillaryville Hobart Hohen Solms Holden Hope Villa Ingleside Innis Jacoby Jarreau LaBarre Lacour Lakeland Legonier Lemannville Lettsworth Little Prairie Lottie Marchand Maurepas McCrea McElroy Miles Mix Modeste New California New Texas Noel Oak Grove Oscar Palo Alto Parlange Philadelphia Point Point Coupee Red Cross Red River Landing Rougon Saint Amant St. Dizier Saint Elmo Satsuma Sherburne Smoke Bend Southwood Torbert Torras Valverda Ventress Wakefield Waterloo Watson Weber City

Demographics

The Baton Rouge metropolitan area was first defined in 1950. Then known as the Baton Rouge standard metropolitan area (or Baton Rouge SMA), it consisted of a single parish–East Baton Rouge–and had a population of 158,236. Following a terminology change by the Bureau of the Budget (present-day U.S. Office of Management and Budget) in 1959, the Baton Rouge SMA became the Baton Rouge standard metropolitan statistical area (or Baton Rouge SMSA).

By the census of 1960, the population had grown to 230,058, a 45% increase over the previous census. A total of 285,167 people lived in East Baton Rouge Parish in 1970.

Three additional parishes were added to the Baton Rouge SMSA in 1973–Ascension, Livingston, and West Baton Rouge. These four parishes had a combined population of 375,628 in 1970. The area grew rapidly during the 1970s and by the 1980 census, the population had increased 32% to 494,151. In 1983, the official name was shortened to the Baton Rouge metropolitan statistical area (or Baton Rouge MSA), which is still in use to date. It was determined 528,264 residents lived in the metropolitan statistical area in 1990, and 602,894 people lived in the four parishes by the year 2000.

In 2003, the Baton Rouge area was expanded to its current size with the addition of five more parishes: East Feliciana, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, and West Feliciana. This nine-parish region had a population of 705,973 in 2000. In 2023, Assumption Parish was added to the Baton Rouge metropolitan statistical area. A new combined statistical area.

At the 2019 American Community Survey, the metropolitan area had an estimated population of 854,884. In 2020, its population was an estimated 858,571. The 2020 U.S. census tabulated a population of 870,569. In 2019, the racial and ethnic makeup of the area was 56% White, 36% Black and African American, 2% Asian, 1% multiracial, and 4% Hispanic and Latin American of any race. There was a median household income of $60,746 and per capita income of $31,571. An estimated 15% of the metropolitan population lived at or below the poverty line. Of the population in 2019, there were 305,441 households and an average of 3.7 people per household. The median value of owner-occupied housing units was $195,500, and 4% of its population was foreign born.

Economy

The metropolitan economy is primarily centered in the city of Baton Rouge; dominated by oil and gas companies, alongside the Louisiana State University System, the area has the furthest inland port on the Mississippi River that can accommodate ocean-going tankers and cargo carriers. ExxonMobil's Baton Rouge Refinery complex is the fourth-largest oil refinery in the country; it is the world's 10th largest. Baton Rouge also has rail, highway, pipeline, and deep-water access. Dow Chemical Company has a large plant in Iberville Parish near Plaquemine, 17 miles (27 km) south of Baton Rouge. Shaw Construction, Turner, and Harmony all started with performing construction work at these plants.

The metropolitan also has a large medical research and clinical presence. Research hospitals have included Our Lady of the Lake, Our Lady of the Lake Children's Hospital (affiliated with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital), Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, and Earl K. Long (closed 2013). Together with an emerging medical corridor at Essen Lane, Summa Avenue and Bluebonnet Boulevard, Baton Rouge has been developing a medical district expected to be similar to the Texas Medical Center. LSU and Tulane University both announced plans to construct satellite medical campuses in Baton Rouge to partner with Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center and Baton Rouge General Medical Center, respectively.

See also Louisiana census statistical areas List of cities, towns, and villages in Louisiana List of census-designated places in Louisiana List of metropolitan areas of Louisiana

External links Official Baton Rouge Government Web Site Downtown Development District Baton Rouge Today Baton Rouge City Guide and Internet Rest Area Perkins Rowe Shopping

References