City comparison
Baton Rouge, LA is about 200 miles (350 km) from Shreveport, LA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 275 miles, or about 4 h 30 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 Shreveport, LA takes about 25 min, covering roughly 200 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 186,183 in Shreveport — about 1.2× larger by population. By land area, Shreveport covers about 110 sq mi vs 87 sq mi for Baton Rouge.
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 | Shreveport | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,010/mo | $945/mo | 6.9% higher in Baton Rouge |
| Median home value | $217,700 | $168,900 | 28.9% higher in Baton Rouge |
| Median household income | $50,155 | $45,967 | 9.1% higher in Baton Rouge |
| Groceries index | 94.1 | 94.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 73.3 | 74.6 | 1.7% higher in Shreveport |
| 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 $89,943 in Shreveport to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Shreveport, LA is about 10.1% cheaper overall than Baton Rouge, LA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 38% higher in Baton Rouge than in Shreveport. If you earn $80,000 in Baton Rouge, you'd need about $71,955 in Shreveport to keep the same standard of living.