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The population in Baton Rouge has steadily declined over the course of the past three years, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The bureau released its July 1, 2023, population estimates for the 15 largest cities and towns in each state, and it revealed Baton Rouge’s population decreased by 0.8% from 221,244 in July 2022 to 219,573 in 2023.
The data report indicates the overall population in Louisiana declined by 0.3% between 2022 and 2023. Cities experiencing the most significant declines were New Orleans, down 1.6%; New Iberia, down 1.5%; and Shreveport, down 1.2%.
The Census Bureau released data in March showing that approximately 60% of counties nationwide saw population gains between 2022 and 2023, although the trend was not reflected in Louisiana.
A handful of parishes, including Ascension, Iberville and Livingston, saw moderate population gains from 2022 to 2023, but no parish saw population growth of more than 1.5%.
Every other Southern state had at least one county that experienced a population growth of higher than 1.5%.
East Baton Rouge Parish’s population dropped from 450,091 in 2022 to 448,467 in 2023, marking its third straight year of population decline.
One interesting trend that emerged from the data: Smaller cities and towns are growing.
Mid-sized cities and towns with populations of at least 10,000 but fewer than 50,000 people experienced growth, the new Census data indicates.
Average growth in southern mid-sized cities held steady at 1.5% in 2023 and 2022. Places in the South with populations between 5,000 and 10,000 people on average grew 1.3%. Small towns in the southern U.S. had the largest growth among small towns nationwide, with an average increase of 0.6%.
