Is Baton Rouge Safe?

Is Baton Rouge a good place to live? Well, it’s Louisiana’s capital city, located on a busy port and vibrant with diverse cultural influences. The city is also home to several notable schools, including Louisiana State University. Live in Baton Rouge and you’ll never be bored. But is Baton Rouge safe? That’s a question that warrants deeper investigation.

Let’s look at the Baton Rouge Louisiana crime rate, where the safest neighborhoods are, and how you can stay safe in this bustling Southern city.

Is Baton Rouge Safe?

As you might imagine, whether you feel safe in Baton Rouge depends a bit on where you are in the city. But before we get into the safest neighborhoods, let’s look at the city as a whole. How dangerous is Baton Rouge overall?

Baton Rouge Crime Rate

When considering how safe you’ll feel in a given city, one of the top considerations is the crime rate. While it’s not a perfect way to measure, knowing the likelihood of experiencing a crime gives you a decent sense of a city’s relative safety. So is Baton Rouge dangerous? FBI crime data is a great source.

Baton Rouge experienced 2,386 violent crimes and 9,887 property crimes in 2021. Given the city’s size, that’s about 54 crimes of any kind per 1,000 Baton Rouge residents. The nationwide average is closer to 23 crimes per 1,000, and Louisiana’s statewide average is 34. Clearly, Baton Rouge has some trouble with crime.

NeighborhoodScout’s crime data analysis confirms this assessment. According to this source, you have a 1 in 18 chance of becoming a victim of crime in Baton Rouge. In fact, the city ranks 49th out of NeighborhoodScout’s top 100 dangerous U.S. cities (though it’s worth noting that other Louisiana cities rank higher). Of particular note is Baton Rouge’s high homicide rate. CBS ranked it as the 6th deadliest city in the country.

But there’s more to safety than crime rates.

Other Safety Factors

The Baton Rouge Police Department received more than 204,000 emergency calls in 2021 alone. That’s nearly one call per resident over the course of a year. Not every call is about a crime, but many are, and the police force has a lot to deal with. In a Niche poll about police reliability, the most popular response was that the police are around but respond slowly.

Perhaps because of this, Baton Rouge residents don’t necessarily feel safe. More than 80% of poll respondents on AreaVibes rated crime in the city as “Awful” or “Poor,” and a full 60% of respondents said they never walk alone at night.

Is Baton Rouge safe? Hardly. Assuming safety is important to you, you’ll want to become familiar with low-crime neighborhoods and brush up on your security basics.

Safest Neighborhoods in Baton Rouge

As you might assume, some areas of Baton Rouge experience more crime than others. Here are the top ten safest Baton Rouge neighborhoods according to NeighborhoodScout.

1. South Baton Rouge
2. LSU East
3. Clearlake Estates / Shadows Lake
4. Kenilworth
5. Mallard Lakes / Azalea Lakes
6. Riverbend
7. White Oak Landing
8. Oak Hills Place
9. Homestead at Old Jefferson / Round Oak
10. Shenandoah Estates

As is often the case, the safer neighborhoods tend to be further from Baton Rouge’s downtown area. A notable exception is the area around the LSU campus. Universities typically staff their own security personnel on top of the city’s police force, which is part of the reason that you’ll be a little bit safer near a school.

Trying out a suburb isn’t a bad idea either. The small town of Addis, just across the Mississippi River, has a crime rate of 2.25 per 1,000.

Best Neighborhoods in Baton Rouge: Other Factors

Of course, safety isn’t the only factor. Especially if you’re planning a relocation, there are lots of considerations and compromises to make.

Top-rated public schools (from Niche):

• Baker/Zachary
• Brownfields/Central
• Airline/Jefferson
• Garden District
• Highlands/Perkins

Lowest cost of living (from Niche):

• Scotlandville
• Mid City North
• Brownfields/Central
• Baker/Zachary
• Broadmoor/Sherwood Forest

Most diverse (from Niche):

• Broadmoor/Sherwood Forest
• South Baton Rouge
• Garden District
• Baker/Zachary
• Brownfields/Central

Highest real estate appreciation (from NeighborhoodScout):

• Beauregard Town
• LSU East
• Old South Baton Rouge
• Downtown East
• Southern Heights

Baton Rouge’s 225 Magazine put out a thorough neighborhood guide that can walk you through some of the more intangible factors, like what kind of vibe each area gives off and who lives there. No matter if you’re looking for a family-friendly neighborhood with great restaurants or a trendy spot with live music venues, you’ll find a place to call home.

Tips for Staying Safe in Baton Rouge, LA

No matter which Baton Rouge streets you frequent, it’s smart to take safety precautions. In any big city, crime could be just around the corner. With a few preventative measures, you’ll lower your likelihood of becoming a victim.

First, if you’re going to rent or own property, consider your living space through the eyes of a criminal. Are there dark sections in the yard? Do bushes near a window offer a good hiding spot? Is there an easy-access outbuilding full of expensive tools or toys? Anything you can do to make your home a less appealing target will be to your advantage. Brush up on the principles of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, which encourages conscious design choices that tell criminals to look elsewhere.

You’ll also want to familiarize yourself with your local police force and any crime prevention resources that it might offer. For example, the Baton Rouge Police Department has a community services division that partners with businesses, schools, and organizations to “create a better living environment for all.” You can reach this division at 225-389-4801.

And, most importantly, invest in home security cameras for your property. Even the simplest cameras can deter crime by their mere presence. But for more robust protection, choose a surveillance system that comes with live security monitoring and intervention. Your best bet? Deep Sentinel. No one stops crime faster, with zero false alarms.

Is Baton Rouge safe? It can be, with the right precautions. Make sure one of those precautions is Deep Sentinel.