City comparison
Baton Rouge, LA is about 60 miles (100 km) from Metairie, LA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 80 miles, or about 1 h 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Baton Rouge, LA to Metairie, LA takes about 8 min, covering roughly 60 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Baton Rouge has a population of 225,500, vs 140,046 in Metairie — about 1.6× larger by population. By land area, Baton Rouge covers about 87 sq mi vs 23 sq mi for Metairie.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Baton Rouge | Metairie | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,010/mo | $1,120/mo | 10.9% higher in Metairie |
| Median home value | $217,700 | $289,800 | 33.1% higher in Metairie |
| Median household income | $50,155 | $72,070 | 43.7% higher in Metairie |
| Groceries index | 94.1 | 94.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 73.3 | 73.3 | ≈ equal (Metairie slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 96.1 | 96.1 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 95.6 | 95.6 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Baton Rouge, you'd need $105,779 in Metairie to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Baton Rouge, LA is about 5.5% cheaper overall than Metairie, LA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 15% higher in Metairie than in Baton Rouge. If you earn $80,000 in Baton Rouge, you'd need about $84,623 in Metairie to keep the same standard of living.