Before Europeans arrived, the native Houma and Bayogoula tribes placed a 30-foot-tall red pole to mark the boundary between their hunting grounds. Though downplayed by the French explorers as a mere “red stick,” the landmark lent its name to the city that would one day be founded on that spot along the Mississippi River. More than 300 years later, Baton Rouge remains unmistakable — and not just because the tallest state capitol in the United States sticks out like an Art Deco thumb near the banks of the river. Home to Louisiana’s state government, two major universities with popular athletic programs, a major port and one of the biggest oil refineries in the United States, Baton Rouge is always buzzing. “In most cases, people move here for LSU or Southern University or because of the petrochemical industry,” says Ron Nicholsen, a 30-year resident and Realtor with Juli Jenkins Group at Keller Williams Realty First Choice.
Scotlandville is just a short 8 miles from downtown Baton Rouge.
The Baton Rouge Port is in part located along the banks of West Baton Rouge along the river.
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Home to Louisiana’s two oldest public universities
In addition to being the seat of Louisiana’s government and headquarters to many statewide agencies, Baton Rouge is the location of two of the state’s most important universities. Louisiana State University (LSU) is the state’s flagship university, located in the Highlands/Perkins neighborhood in southwest Baton Rouge. LSU’s enrollment of about 35,000 students accounts for about 15% of the city’s total population. Southern University, the state’s second-oldest public university behind LSU, is Louisiana’s largest Historically Black College or University with more than 8,000 students. Southern’s campus is in north Baton Rouge. Baton Rouge Community College also serves more than 7,000 students getting a start on their secondary education. At the primary and secondary levels, East Baton Rouge Parish Public Schools operates 56 elementary schools, 30 middle schools and 16 high schools. The district earns a C-plus rating on Niche. Mayfair Lab School and St. Aloysius Catholic School were named National Blue Ribbon Schools in 2024. Thousands of students also attend the city's 27 charter schools and more than two dozen private schools. In addition, LSU and Southern have lab schools serving K-12 students on their campuses.
Just on the edge of Scotlandville, you can attend Southern University.
In Highland Farms Southern University is home of the Jaguars.
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Acadian-style homes and new developments
The Baton Rouge housing market has undergone major changes since 2000. Many residents left the city to suburbanize formerly rural Ascension and Livingston parishes, each increasing by more than 50,000 residents in the past 20 years. The median sales price of $269,000 in 2024 was an uptick of 5% from the previous year. Homes stay on the market for 72 days on average, much higher than the national average of 44 days. “You’ll find a lot of Southern-style homes, very Acadian,” Nicholsen says. “They’ve got the huge wrap-around porches and outdoor space for gatherings and stuff. Family is a big deal, so you’ve got to have a place for your barbecues and crawfish boils.” Ranch-style homes, bungalows and French Colonial styles are common, while new subdivisions and multiuse developments trend toward modern farmhouse aesthetics. Unincorporated areas like Brownfields and Merrydale offer suburban living with larger lot sizes, while historic neighborhoods such as the Garden District feature century-old homes with unique architecture.
This Greenwell acadian style home is perfect your you and yours.
Manicured lawns are common in Broadmoor/Sherwood.
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College sports are king, but arts are celebrated too
College sports are a centerpiece of Baton Rouge culture. LSU’s Tiger Stadium — called "Death Valley" by vanquished foes — has a capacity of more than 102,000, making it the seventh-largest stadium in the world. Fans prefer night games to allow all day for the elaborate tailgate parties that fuel Death Valley’s fearsome reputation. Women’s basketball and gymnastics events at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center are frequently sold out. Tickets are similarly difficult to come by during baseball season at Alex Box Stadium, where the Tigers are constantly in the national championship conversation. At Southern University, the halftime show is as important as the football game, thanks to the world-famous “Human Jukebox” marching band, which has performed at Super Bowls and presidential inauguration parades. Baton Rouge does not ignore high culture amidst its love for sports. Opera Louisiane, Theatre Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge Ballet and the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra are top performing arts companies. The Shaw Center for the Arts is a 125,000-square-foot performing arts venue, museum and educational center located in Downtown Baton Rouge . The city also features a wide-ranging collection of museums, including the Louisiana Art and Science Museum, Knock Knock Children’s Museum, LSU Rural Life Museum and the Baton Rouge African American Museum.
Catch a football game at the Tiger Stadium at the LSU campus.
Downtown Baton Rouge hosts the LSU Museum of Art in the Shaw Center.
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Eating and nightlife with a Louisiana flavor
As is common throughout southern Louisiana, seafood restaurants are a staple in Baton Rouge. Proximity to the Gulf of Mexico — and, during the spring, access to inland crawfish farms — assures a freshness and variety difficult to find in most of the country. This being Louisiana, that also means a spicy, Cajun-flavored flair. But seafood isn't the only thing on the menu. EatBR sponsors quarterly restaurant weeks, when more than 40 local restaurants offer three-course meals throughout the week. Thanks to the nearly 45,000 college students, Baton Rouge nightlife has a well-earned reputation for liveliness, but it also doesn’t lack for bars aimed at a slightly more mature crowd. And for retail, Baton Rouge’s Mall of Louisiana is the largest mall in the state.
In Highlands/Perkins grab lunch at Parrain's Seafood Restaurant’s full service bar.
The Mall of Louisiana is located near Wildwood, providing indoor and outdoor shopping.
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Baton Rouge has a gold medal parks system
Baton Rouge’s parks system is frequently recognized among the nation’s best. In 2022, the Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge (BREC) earned the national gold medal from the National Recreation and Park Association. BREC manages more than 180 parks, dozens of trails and conservation areas, six golf courses, an equestrian center, an extreme sports center and the Baton Rouge Zoo. In total, 52% of Baton Rouge residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, which is just below the national median of 55%. “There’s a lot of bike riding and cycling clubs,” Nicholsen says. “The Mississippi River Levee Trail is a really good bike path that follows the river.” The Frenchtown Conservation Area is the largest park at nearly 500 acres, followed by Greenwood Community Park at 390 acres.
The Mississippi River levee is a great place to ride bikes in Highlands/Perkins.
The fearsome Rhino stares back, at a safe distance, at the Baton Rouge Zoo.
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Notorious traffic and CATS public transportation
Baton Rouge is one of the nation’s most congested cities for its size. Among the contributing factors is that Baton Rouge has half as many bridge lanes crossing the Mississippi as New Orleans, creating natural bottlenecks. Three interstate highways cross through Baton Rouge — Interstate 10, Interstate 110 and Interstate 12 — and I-10 was ranked as one of the top 10 most congested corridors in the U.S. The Capital Area Transit System (CATS) is often unreliable, with delays of an hour or more not unheard of at bus stops. Transportation woes aren’t being ignored, though proposed solutions are years away from arriving. Transportation is a chief issue addressed in the city-parish commission’s FUTUREBR comprehensive plan. Construction is underway to expand I-10 from three lanes to four by 2028. A proposed Bus Rapid Transit system connecting LSU, downtown and north Baton Rouge would potentially alleviate I-110 traffic. Civic planners also aim to create a commuter rail service connecting Baton Rouge and New Orleans. American, Delta and United Airlines fly to and from Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport with non-stop flights to Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Houston and Washington, D.C.
High crime, environmental issues and a complicated racial history
Several neighborhoods in Baton Rouge still have the same demographics since the era of legalized segregation, when Florida Boulevard acted as a de facto racial borderline within the city. The 2016 police shooting of Black resident Alton Sterling set off a series of racial justice protests in the city that resonated nationally. Statistics indicate excessive force complaints against Baton Rouge Police Department officers have decreased by 40% over the past five years. Still, racial issues raised by protestors remain relevant to the conversation today.
The complexities of Baton Rouge are also writ large by one of its largest economic engines. Baton Rouge is the furthest point inland where ocean tankers can travel up Mississippi River from the Gulf of Mexico, making it an ideal location for the sixth-largest oil refinery in the United States. But while the petrochemical industry is an economic force, it doesn’t come without environmental consequences. The EPA rates Baton Rouge’s air in the 98th or 99th percentile nationally for toxic releases to the air and in the 94th percentile for cancer risk from toxic releases into the air. The region is part of “Cancer Alley,” an 85-mile stretch of communities between Baton Rouge and New Orleans that live side by side with 200 petrochemical and fossil fuel plants. Residents face increased risks of cancer, respiratory illnesses and other health issues. Problems are particularly acute in predominantly Black and low-income communities.
Baton Rouge is susceptible to hurricanes, with Andrew (1992) and Gustav (2008) being the most recent storms to inflict significant damage. However, the 2016 flood that affected Baton Rouge and surrounding areas was the seventh-costliest natural disaster in the U.S. since 1978, damaging an estimated 146,000 homes in Baton Rouge and neighboring communities. Homeowners face higher insurance premiums due to climate change and south Louisiana’s considerable hurricane risk. Insurance companies are backing out of the market and nine have become insolvent since 2020. Many homeowners have seen their insurance costs increase or have had to buy expensive policies from state “insurers of last resort.”
Baton Rouge’s violent and property crime rates are significantly higher than the national average, according to data provided by the Baton Rouge Police Department and compiled by the FBI. Homicides occur throughout the parish, but 20% of homicides occurred around the central part of the city in 2022. The East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office and Baton Rouge Police Department have created new units to tackle gang violence. Several neighborhoods have enacted crime prevention districts, which are created by state legislation and exist to provide enhanced public safety services funded by a tax for the services.
Ken Hamrick distinguishes himself in the real estate market with his extensive experience and a unique advantage as a pioneering member of Homes.com. With over 40 years in the hospitality industry and a commitment to personalized client service, Ken offers a 5.0-star rated service with Keller Williams Realty New Orleans. In the last four years, his transaction history includes 39 closed sales amounting to $15 million, demonstrating his proficiency across a wide price range from $138,000 to $1.5 million. Ken's recent performance highlights his capability with 13 seller deals averaging $375,608 and 27 buyer deals totaling $11.34 million with an average sale price of $420,000. He handles various property types, including condos, houses, townhouses, commercial properties, multifamily units, and land parcels. Moreover, Ken leverages his Homes.com membership to provide unparalleled visibility for his clients' properties. As a pioneering member, he utilizes advanced retargeting techniques to keep homes top-of-mind for potential buyers, ensuring maximum exposure and interest in the market. Ken Hamrick's dedication to integrity, hard work, and superior client service make him a trusted partner for anyone looking to buy or sell real estate in New Orleans.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
