East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 470 sqmi, of which 15 sqmi (3.2%) are covered by water.

Bodies of water

• Amite River
• Bayou Manchac
• Comite River
• Mississippi River
• Thompson Creek

Major highways

• [[File:I-10.svg|25px]] Interstate 10
  • [[File:I-110.svg|25px]] Interstate 110
• [[File:I-12.svg|25px]] Interstate 12
• [[File:US 61.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 61
• [[File:US 190.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 190
• [[File:Louisiana 19 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 19
• [[File:Louisiana 30 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 30
• [[File:Louisiana 37 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 37
• [[File:Louisiana 42 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 42
• [[File:Louisiana 64 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 64
• [[File:Louisiana 67 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 67
• [[File:Louisiana 73 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 73
• [[File:Louisiana 327 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 327
• [[File:Louisiana 408 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 408
• [[File:Louisiana 409 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 409
• [[File:Louisiana 410 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 410
• [[File:Louisiana 423 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 423
• [[File:Louisiana 426 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 426
• [[File:Louisiana 427 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 427
• [[File:Louisiana 946 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 946
• [[File:Louisiana 948 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 948
• [[File:Louisiana 958 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 958
• [[File:Louisiana 964 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 964
• [[File:Louisiana 1209 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 1209
• [[File:Louisiana 1248 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 1248
• [[File:Louisiana 3006 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 3006
• [[File:Louisiana 3034 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 3034
• [[File:Louisiana 3064 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 3064
• [[File:Louisiana 3164 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 3164
• [[File:Louisiana 3246 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 3246

Adjacent parishes

• East Feliciana Parish (north)
• West Feliciana Parish (northwest)
• West Baton Rouge Parish (west)
• Iberville Parish (south)
• Ascension Parish (southeast)
• Livingston Parish (east)
• St. Helena Parish (northeast)

Communities

Cities

• Baker
• Baton Rouge (parish seat and largest municipality)
• Central
• St. George
• Zachary

Census-designated places

• Brownfields
• Gardere
• Merrydale
• Monticello

Former census-designated places

• Inniswold (absorbed into the city of St. George after the 2020 U.S. census)
• Oak Hills Place (absorbed into the city of St. George after the 2020 U.S. Census)
• Old Jefferson (absorbed into the city of St. George after the 2020 U.S. Census)
• Shenandoah (absorbed into the city of St. George after the 2020 U.S. Census)
• Village St. George (absorbed into the city of St. George after the 2020 U.S. Census)
• Westminster (absorbed into the city of St. George after the 2020 U.S. Census)

Unincorporated communities

• Baywood
• Greenwell Springs
• Port Hudson
• Pride

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 456,781 people, 181,478 households, and 95,243 families residing in the parish.

The median age was 35.2 years. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 90.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 87.6 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the parish was 42.9% White, 45.2% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.2% Asian,

93.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 6.9% lived in rural areas.

Of the 181,478 households, 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 36.1% were married-couple households, 21.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 36.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 204,359 housing units, of which 11.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 58.0% were owner-occupied and 42.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 13.2%.

2019 American Community Survey

As of the 2019 American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 5.7% of residents were foreign-born, 8.3% spoke a language other than English at home, 61.2% of the parish population was employed, and 45,760 businesses operated in the parish; among those businesses, 19,537 were minority-owned and approximately 4,637 were veteran-owned.

Of the 164,346 households recorded by the survey, 6.6% of residents were aged 5 and under, 77.2% were aged 18 and older, and 13.7% were 65 and older; the median age of East Baton Rouge was 34, up from 32 at the 2010 U.S. census.

The survey also reported a median household income of $54,948 and 194,326 housing units; the home-ownership rate was 59.8%, the median value of an owner-occupied unit was $194,000, the median gross rent was $933, and males had a median income of $55,862 versus $38,817 for females.

2010 census

In 2010, the racial and ethnic makeup of the parish was 45.9% Black and African American, 49.5% White American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.0% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 1.02% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. About 3.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latin American of any race.

In 2010, for every 100 females, there were 91.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.50 males.

Racial / Ethnic Profile of places in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana

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Education

Primary and secondary education

Most sections of the parish are zoned to schools in East Baton Rouge Parish School System. Baker residents attend the City of Baker School System. Zachary residents and residents of unincorporated areas around Zachary attend the Zachary Community School Board. Central residents, and those of a section of Brownfields, as well as some other unincorporated areas, attend the Central Community School System schools.

The State of Louisiana also operates the Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired and Louisiana School for the Deaf.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge operates Catholic parochial schools.

Other education

East Baton Rouge Parish Library is the public library system. The parish is in the service area of Baton Rouge Community College.

Government

The city of Baton Rouge and the Parish of East Baton Rouge have been run by a consolidated government since 1947, which combined the city of Baton Rouge government with the rural areas of the parish. The city and parish are served by the metropolitan council and the mayor-president.

The parish courthouse in Baton Rouge is one of 26 public buildings constructed by contractor George A. Caldwell in the 1930s.

In 2010, the 19th Judicial District Court moved into the new courthouse on North Blvd.

The Jetson Center for Youth, a former juvenile prison operated by the Louisiana Office of Juvenile Justice, is located near Baker in an unincorporated area.

Politics

Since 1980, East Baton Rouge Parish has been a bellwether in presidential elections, voting for the winner of the presidency in all but three elections (it voted for George H. W. Bush in 1992, Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Kamala Harris in 2024) but not necessarily the winner of Louisiana. In the 2008 presidential election, the parish voted for Democrat Barack Obama, who won 51% of the vote and 99,652 votes. Republican John McCain won 48% of the votes and 95,390 votes. In the 2008 Senate election, Democrat Mary Landrieu, who kept her seat as a U.S. Senator, won 57% of the vote and 110,694 votes in East Baton Rouge Parish. Republican John Neely Kennedy won 41% of the vote and 80,222 votes. In the 2004 presidential election, East Baton Rouge Parish cast the majority of its votes for Republican George W. Bush, who won 54% of the votes and 99,943 votes. Democrat John F. Kerry won 45% of the votes and 82,298 votes.

In 2016, John Kennedy lost East Baton Rouge Parish in his otherwise highly successful U.S. Senate race against Democratic Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell, who prevailed 52-48%. By a nearly identical margin, Democrat Sharon Weston Broome defeated Republican Bodi White to claim the Baton Rouge mayor-president position to succeed Democrat Kip Holden. In 2024, Republican Sid Edwards defeated Weston-Broome to retake the mayoralty of Baton Rouge.

Law enforcement

The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office employs approximately 850 deputies, making it one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the state of Louisiana. Notable past sheriffs include politician Philemon Thomas; baseball player Terry Felton became a captain in the department after retiring from sports.

Other law enforcement agencies in the parish include:

• Baton Rouge Police Department
• Baton Rouge City Constable (Ward 1)
• Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport Police Department
• Baker Police Department
• Baker City Marshall
• Zachary Police Department
• City of Central Police Department
• Louisiana State University Police Department
• Baton Rouge Community College Police Department
• Southern University Police Department
• East Baton Rouge Parish Constable - Ward 2, District 1
• East Baton Rouge Parish Constable - Ward 2, District 2
• East Baton Rouge Parish Constable - Ward 2, District 3
• East Baton Rouge Parish Constable - Ward 3, District 1
• East Baton Rouge Parish Constable - Ward 3, District 2
• East Baton Rouge Parish Constable - Ward 3, District 3

National Guard

The 769th Engineer Battalion (Combat) a unit of the 225th Engineer Brigade is located in East Baton Rouge Parish. Two companies of this battalion deployed to Iraq in 2007–2008. Another company-sized unit, the 927TH Sapper Company, deployed to Afghanistan in 2008–2009. As of 2011, yet another company, the 926TH Mobility Augmentation Company located in Baker has been alerted for overseas deployment. The 769th Engineers have two other companies, the 922nd Horizontal Engineer Company located in Gonzales, Louisiana, and the 928th Sapper Company located in Napoleonville, Louisiana.

Healthcare

Major hospitals include:

• Baton Rouge General Bluebonnet
• Baton Rouge General Mid-City
• Ochsner Medical Center - Baton Rouge
• Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center
• Our Lady of the Lake Children's Hospital
• Woman's Hospital

Emergency Medical Services in EBR Parish are provided by East Baton Rouge EMS and Acadian Ambulance.

References

References

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7. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
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19. included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
20. included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
21. not an option in the 1980 Census
22. not an option in the 1990 Census
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