West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana

County Distress Index: Normal · 44.1 | 28,266 people · 61st most distressed in Louisiana
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West Baton Rouge Parish, LA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 44.1 — 2068th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within Louisiana, it ranks 61st of 64 counties. It scores lower than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. West Baton Rouge Parish's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 73.2 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 73.2
Debt in Collections 83
Medical Debt 73
Student Loan Delinquency 86
Auto Loan Delinquency 57
Credit Card Delinquency 85
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 55
Housing Cost Burden 52.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 45
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 94
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 47
Homeownership Rate 42
Rent-to-Income Ratio 36
Income & Poverty 38.6
Poverty Rate 50
Income vs. State Median 7
Child Poverty Rate 58
Employment & Wages 30.1
Unemployment Rate 52
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 16
Business Formation Rate 22
Community Vulnerability 25.6
Uninsured Rate 27
Disability Rate 24

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

Neighbors and Peers

How West Baton Rouge Parish compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. West Baton Rouge Parish
West Baton Rouge Parish, LA 44.1 Normal —
Pointe Coupee Parish, LA 65.0 Serious +20.9
East Baton Rouge Parish, LA 59.5 Elevated +15.4
Iberville Parish, LA 52.0 Elevated +7.9
East Feliciana Parish, LA 48.4 Normal +4.3
West Feliciana Parish, LA 45.2 Normal +1.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. West Baton Rouge Parish
Randolph County, IL 44.1 Normal +0.0
Waushara County, WI 44.0 Normal -0.1
Montrose County, CO 44.2 Normal +0.1
Talbot County, MD 44.0 Normal -0.1
Kodiak Island Borough, AK 44.0 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in West Baton Rouge Parish

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 West 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    West Baton Rouge Parish has a County Distress Index score of 44.1 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,068th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 61st in Louisiana out of 64 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in West Baton Rouge Parish?

    The primary driver of distress in West Baton Rouge Parish is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 73.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

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

    West Baton Rouge Parish (44.1) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Pointe Coupee Parish, LA (65.0); East Baton Rouge Parish, LA (59.5); Iberville Parish, LA (52.0).

  • 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 West Baton Rouge Parish?

    West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana has a population of approximately 28,266 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.