East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana

County Distress Index: Elevated · 59.5 | 448,467 people · 38th most distressed in Louisiana
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

East Baton Rouge Parish, LA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 59.5 — 875th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Louisiana, it ranks 38th of 64 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. East Baton Rouge Parish's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 84.3 — worse than roughly 84% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 84.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 95
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 95
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 63
Homeownership Rate 94
Rent-to-Income Ratio 74
Debt & Delinquency 79.2
Debt in Collections 87
Medical Debt 62
Student Loan Delinquency 92
Auto Loan Delinquency 95
Credit Card Delinquency 86
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 54
Income & Poverty 63.0
Poverty Rate 86
Income vs. State Median 24
Child Poverty Rate 80
Community Vulnerability 46.1
Uninsured Rate 55
Disability Rate 37
Employment & Wages 24.6
Unemployment Rate 49
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 18
Business Formation Rate 7

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How East Baton Rouge Parish compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. East Baton Rouge Parish
East Baton Rouge Parish, LA 59.5 Elevated —
St. Helena Parish, LA 70.3 Serious +10.8
Iberville Parish, LA 52.0 Elevated -7.4
Livingston Parish, LA 48.8 Normal -10.6
East Feliciana Parish, LA 48.4 Normal -11.1
West Baton Rouge Parish, LA 44.1 Normal -15.4
Ascension Parish, LA 33.8 Healthy -25.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. East Baton Rouge Parish
Lee County, FL 59.5 Elevated +0.0
Stanislaus County, CA 59.5 Elevated +0.1
Leon County, FL 59.5 Elevated +0.1
Bell County, TX 59.6 Elevated +0.1
Montgomery County, OH 59.9 Elevated +0.4

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for East Baton Rouge Parish as a CSV file.

Find Help in East Baton Rouge Parish

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near East Baton Rouge Parish.

LOUISIANA HOUSING CORPORATION
Baton Rouge
225-763-8800 Website
Financial CounselingFinancial CounselingFair HousingPre-Purchase
MID CITY REDEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE
Baton Rouge
225-346-1000
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingPost-Purchase
NSC (NACA COUNSELING SUBSIDIARY) - BATON ROUGE, LA
BATON ROUGE
225-767-9224 Website
Financial CounselingPost-PurchasePre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education

See all counselors in Louisiana →

Find an Attorney

Louisiana State Bar Association Lawyer Referral offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Louisiana State Bar Association Lawyer Referral 1-800-421-5722

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving East Baton Rouge Parish residents at no cost.

Southeast Louisiana Legal Services 504-529-1000
Acadiana Legal Service Corporation 1-800-256-1175
Southeast Louisiana Legal Services Corporation (504) 529-1000

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Louisiana →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana?

    East Baton Rouge Parish has a County Distress Index score of 59.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 875th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 38th in Louisiana out of 64 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in East Baton Rouge Parish?

    The primary driver of distress in East Baton Rouge Parish is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 84.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does East Baton Rouge Parish compare to neighboring counties?

    East Baton Rouge Parish (59.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: St. Helena Parish, LA (70.3); Iberville Parish, LA (52.0); Livingston Parish, LA (48.8).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of East Baton Rouge Parish?

    East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana has a population of approximately 448,467 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.