CostIndexUSA

Baton Rouge, LA vs Fargo, ND Cost of Living

Data: BEA Regional Price Parities · Census ACS · 2024

≈ Equal CostLA
Baton Rouge
90.8
overall index
$1,350/mo rent
ND
Fargo
90.9
overall index
$1,100/mo rent

Baton Rouge and Fargo have nearly identical costs of living.

Category Breakdown

Index values: 100 = U.S. national average. Higher = more expensive.

🏠 Housing+9.3%
Baton Rouge
74.2
Fargo
81.1
🛒 Groceries+2.1%
Baton Rouge
93.7
Fargo
95.7
🚗 Transportation−4.6%
Baton Rouge
100.5
Fargo
95.9
🏥 Healthcare−4.5%
Baton Rouge
90.9
Fargo
86.8
⚡ Utilities+8.6%
Baton Rouge
71.2
Fargo
77.3

Salary Equivalency Calculator

Enter your current salary in Baton Rouge to see what you'd need to earn in Fargo to maintain the same purchasing power.

$
→
Equivalent salary in Fargo, ND
$80,100
$100 more needed in Fargo

Formula: salary × (90.9 ÷ 90.8) = salary × 1.0011. Based on BEA Regional Price Parities.

Housing Market

Baton Rouge, LA

Median Home Price
$240,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,350
Housing Index
74.2
Price-to-Rent Ratio
14.8×

Fargo, ND

Median Home Price
$313,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,100
Housing Index
81.1
Price-to-Rent Ratio
23.7×

Fargo has 9.3% higher housing costs compared to Baton Rouge.

Income & Job Market

Baton Rouge, LA

Median Household Income
$64,600
Per Capita Income
$36,800
Unemployment Rate
4.6%
Population
227,470
Top Industries
EnergyHealthcareGovernmentEducationManufacturing

Fargo, ND

Median Household Income
$72,900
Per Capita Income
$41,600
Unemployment Rate
3.7%
Population
125,990
Top Industries
HealthcareFinanceEducationTechnologyRetail

Affordability at a Glance

Income-to-rent ratio: higher is better (more income relative to housing costs).

Baton Rouge, LA
4.0×income-to-rent ratio

75% of income left after rent (median)

Fargo, ND
5.5×income-to-rent ratio

82% of income left after rent (median)

Baton Rouge vs other cities

Baton Rouge, LA
vs
Lafayette, LA
Index: 90.8Index: 87.2
Baton Rouge, LA
vs
Lake Charles, LA
Index: 90.8Index: 85.9
Baton Rouge, LA
vs
Monroe, LA
Index: 90.8Index: 83.6
Baton Rouge, LA
vs
Richmond, VA
Index: 90.8Index: 97.9
Baton Rouge, LA
vs
Santa Clarita, CA
Index: 90.8Index: 113.6

Fargo vs other cities

Fargo, ND
vs
Bismarck, ND
Index: 90.9Index: 91
Fargo, ND
vs
Allentown, PA
Index: 90.9Index: 100
Fargo, ND
vs
Columbia, MO
Index: 90.9Index: 89.4
Fargo, ND
vs
Topeka, KS
Index: 90.9Index: 88.8
Fargo, ND
vs
Abilene, TX
Index: 90.9Index: 90.4

Data Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities 2024; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Zillow Research.

Cost indices use 100 as the U.S. national average. Values above 100 indicate costs above the national average. Data is updated annually.

This data is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for relocation or financial decisions.