City · Louisiana
Central, Louisiana
Central, city, in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. Central had 30,313 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 2.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 29,565 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 29,783 (±48). GEOID 2213960.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
30,313
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 29,565 · ACS 2020-2024: 29,783 ±48
Median household income
$89,554
±$13,282 (90% margin)
Louisiana: $60,756
Median home value
$288,700
±$18,351 (90% margin)
Louisiana: $216,500
Median gross rent
$1,309
±$101 (90% margin)
Louisiana: $1,064
Where is Central and what county is it in?
Central is a city in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. It covers 62.3 square miles of land, 475 residents per square mile in 2020.
Central is in the Baton Rouge, LA metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 10 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Central, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 30,313 people lived in Central on July 1, 2025, up 2.5% since 2020, while Louisiana shrank 0.9%. The 2020 Census counted 29,565 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 29,783 (±48).
| Measure | Central | East Baton Rouge Parish | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 29,783 ±48 | 452,938 | +676 |
| Households | 11,496 ±570 | 177,295 | +1,263 |
| Average household size | 2.59 ±0.13 | 2.47 | −0.25 |
| Housing units | 12,372 ±594 | 206,591 | +887 |
Central's population since 2005
From 25,919 in 2005 to 30,313 in 2025: up 17.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Central as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Central?
The median resident of Central is 40.4 years old; 25.9% are under 18 and 18.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 79.1%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 9.8%. 1.3% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Central | East Baton Rouge Parish | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.4 ±2.0 | 34.1 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 25.9% ±2.6 pts | 22.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 18.4% ±2.2 pts | 15.3% | – |
| Male | 48.3% ±2.0 pts | 47.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.6% ±2.2 pts | 6.9% | +2.9 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 79.1% ±3.9 pts | 41.6% | −7.8 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 9.8% ±3.5 pts | 43.6% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.4 pts | 3.3% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 5.0% ±1.6 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.1 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.3% ±0.8 pts | 7.1% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.8% ±1.0 pts | 9.3% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.8% ±1.4 pts | 4.4% | – |
| With a disability | 12.2% ±1.8 pts | 14.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 5.5% ±1.9 pts | 8.2% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 96.6% ±1.1 pts | 90.8% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 35.3% ±4.5 pts | 38.5% | +9.6 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 11.0% ±3.0 pts | 15.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.9% ±1.6 pts | 84.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.4% ±0.4 pts | 2.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Central earn?
Half of Central's 11,496 households earn less than $89,554 a year (±$13,282), against $63,071 in East Baton Rouge Parish and $60,756 in Louisiana. In 2015-2019 it was $98,474 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 5.4% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Central | East Baton Rouge Parish | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $89,554 ±$13,282 | $63,071 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $109,256 ±$8,729 | $95,663 | – |
| Per capita income | $43,056 ±$2,721 | $38,736 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 5.4% ±1.7 pts | 19.6% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 5.4% ±3.9 pts | 24.8% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 6.1% ±2.1 pts | 15.9% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.3% ±0.9 pts | 95.0% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 95.4% ±1.4 pts | 91.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Central?
Owners occupy 88.8% of Central's occupied homes and renters 11.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $288,700 by its owner (±$18,351). The median renter pays $1,309 a month including utilities, and 58.8% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Central | East Baton Rouge Parish | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $288,700 ±$18,351 | $248,800 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,309 ±$101 | $1,147 | +$167 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 58.8% ±14.8 pts | 48.0% | +30.5 pts |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,879 ±$145 | $1,703 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 88.8% ±3.0 pts | 59.3% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 11.2% ±3.0 pts | 40.7% | – |
| Housing units | 12,372 ±594 | 206,591 | +887 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 2.3% ±1.7 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 9.0% ±8.0 pts | 11.1% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 85.2% ±3.4 pts | 61.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 8.4% ±2.8 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 3.6% ±1.7 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 18.3% ±5.0 pts | 13.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 1.2% ±1.0 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 2.4% ±1.7 pts | 8.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Central building?
Builders took permits for 75 new housing units in Central in 2025 (75 in single-family houses), 2.5 per 1,000 residents against 3.1 across Louisiana.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Central work and get to work?
82.4% of Central's workers drive alone and 10.1% work from home. The average trip to work takes 29.0 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 2.2%.
| Measure | Central | East Baton Rouge Parish | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 63.3% ±3.5 pts | 63.0% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.2% ±1.3 pts | 7.7% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 82.4% ±3.6 pts | 77.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 6.1% ±2.2 pts | 10.1% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±0.3 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Walked | 0.3% ±0.4 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Worked from home | 10.1% ±2.8 pts | 8.6% | +7.3 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 29.0 min ±1.4 | 23.6 min | −2.4 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Central?
5 census tracts lie mostly in Central, and 2 more reach into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $77,124 (Tract 43.01) to $108,248 (Tract 44.02).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 44.02East Baton Rouge Parish | 6,539 | $108,248 |
| Tract 44.03East Baton Rouge Parish | 7,097 | $105,804 |
| Tract 43.02East Baton Rouge Parish | 5,951 | $100,048 |
| Tract 44.01East Baton Rouge Parish | 4,658 | $82,599 |
| Tract 43.01East Baton Rouge Parish | 5,484 | $77,124 |
| Tract 47East Baton Rouge Parish | 5,516 | $67,159 |
| Tract 45.03East Baton Rouge Parish | 5,942 | $56,367 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Central) · Census block assignment files
How does Central compare with other places in Louisiana?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Central is the 1,351st-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 11th-most populous of 304 in Louisiana.
Central ranks 24th of 251 places in Louisiana with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 11th | 304 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 28th | 156 |
| Residents per square mile | 211th | 263 |
| Median household income | 24th | 251 |
| Per capita income | 33rd | 263 |
| Median home value | 22nd | 247 |
| Median gross rent | 38th | 229 |
| Poverty rate | 214th | 216 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32nd | 229 |
| Median age | 81st | 262 |
| Owner-occupied share | 29th | 260 |
| Work from home | 32nd | 87 |
| Travel time to work | 59th | 260 |
Central's figures with every place in Louisiana (CSV)
Every place in Louisiana, sortable · Compare Central with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Central?
12 of the 57 figures for Central on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Central are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Central.