01 · the cities
New York
New York is the city that refuses to take a nap. Five boroughs of bodegas, bagels, late-night dollar slices, and entire neighborhoods that switch languages every six blocks. The subway is a 472-station miracle that runs all night, and Central Park is the green lung that keeps Manhattan sane. You will spend more than you planned and love every minute of it.
full dispatch→Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge is LSU football, the Mississippi River bending past downtown, and the kind of food (gumbo, jambalaya, boudin, po'boys) that makes you want to lie down after lunch. The Louisiana state capitol is the tallest in the country, a 34-story Art Deco tower that looks more like a Manhattan office building. Cajun warmth runs through everything, with a slightly more buttoned-up daily pace than New Orleans.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,329/mo
$1,361/mo
$1,968/mo less than New York (145%)
Median home price
Median home price
$739k
$250k
$489k less than New York
State income tax
State income tax
10.7%
3.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,110/mo
$6,722/mo
Baton Rouge has $2,612/mo more gross after rent at $100k
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
171 days
187 days
16 more than New York
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
1 days
25 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
19 days
1 days
days below 20°F per year
Baton Rouge has 24 more days above 95°F each year than New York. New York drops below 20°F on 18 more days per year than Baton Rouge.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
78 / 100
50 / 100
28.0 pts behind New York
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
215 routes
4 routes
211 fewer direct routes than New York
Metro size
Metro size
19.5M metro
874k metro
New York has 260.5x more events per month than Baton Rouge.
the verdict
3
New York
categories won
6
Baton Rouge
categories won
Baton Rouge wins on money and weather. New York has the edge on lifestyle.
run your numbers
How far does your New York salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works