What it's like to live in Baker
Baker is a small city in Louisiana with home prices that remain within reach and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Baker deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and college degree attainment below the national average.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- High poverty rate
- Hot summers
How Baker compares
Median household income
Median home value
What it takes to move to Baker
Based on Baker's median rent, home value and household income
To buy
$31,580
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $15,790
- Homes cost 2.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Job market
4.2% county unemployment
Unemployment in East Baton Rouge Parish is 4.2%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
East Baton Rouge Parish (county-wide)
Safety▲ 21% above US
398 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 1118/100k · Baker Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.3 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. Nearly all workers drive to work.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 92°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 43°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 43% below US
21% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 21%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
7 public schools inside the boundary
There are 7 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Natchez National Historical Park (68 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Baker's strongest point is home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and crime rates above the national average. Whether it fits comes down to the specifics: the neighborhood, the job, and what matters most in the move.
Other places near Baker
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