Jobs, pay and daily life in Central, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Central is a city in Louisiana with 29,783 residents. The median household earns $89,554 a year and the median rent is $1,309 a month, which is 17.5% of the median household income. It is part of the Baton Rouge, LA metropolitan area, where BLS counts 409,690 jobs.
How Central compares. Among the 80 largest places in Louisiana, Central is #14 by population, #3 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #13 for household income (#1 = highest), #19 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, East Baton Rouge Parish, is #12 of 64 counties for average pay ($66,778).
Central has 29,783 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.6% of the population of Louisiana. It covers 62 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 478 people per square mile. The median age is 40.4, 6% older than the state median (40.4 against 38.0).
The median gross rent is $1,309 a month (rent plus utilities), 23% above the state median ($1,309 against $1,064). Over a year that is 17.5% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $288,700, which is 3.2 times the median household income ($89,554); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 88.8% of households own their home, 32% above the state average (88.8% against 67.4%).
The Baton Rouge, LA metropolitan area has 409,690 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $48,710 a year, 4% below the national median ($48,710 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (44,540 jobs, median $42,250); transportation and material moving (36,310 jobs, median $41,720); food preparation and serving related (34,540 jobs, median $24,000). The area is most specialised in construction and extraction (2.0 times) and architecture and engineering (1.3 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($106,010) and architecture and engineering ($102,480). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of East Baton Rouge Parish was 3.7%. 63.3% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in East Baton Rouge Parish; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 82.4% drive alone, 0.0% use public transit, 0.3% walk, 10.1% work from home. 13.2% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 13% below the state average (13.2% against 15.2%).
35.3% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 31% above the state share (35.3% against 27.0%). 1.3% of residents were born outside the United States, 74% below the state share (1.3% against 4.9%). The poverty rate is 5.4%, 72% below the state rate (5.4% against 18.9%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 82°F (27.8°C), and the coolest is Jan at 49°F (9.7°C). About 1,560 mm (61 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (166 mm) and Nov the driest (93 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Merrydale (6 miles, similar rent); Denham Springs (7 miles, rent 23% lower); Baker (7 miles, rent 24% lower); Baton Rouge (10 miles, rent 18% lower). Rent differences are against Central; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Louisiana (780) →State guide: LouisianaCountry guideEast Baton Rouge ParishLouisiana rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 780 federal postings open in Louisiana (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Louisiana →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cashiers | 9,130 | 1.12 | $27,110 | $21,260 | $35,000 | -18% |
| Retail Salespersons | 9,020 | 0.88 | $30,070 | $22,470 | $46,160 | -15% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 8,760 | 1.13 | $36,450 | $22,580 | $47,250 | -9% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 8,490 | 0.84 | $23,650 | $21,270 | $33,460 | -24% |
| Registered Nurses | 8,290 | 0.93 | $81,130 | $65,330 | $103,230 | -17% |
| General and Operations Managers | 8,230 | 0.89 | $107,140 | $56,470 | $230,820 | +1% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 7,840 | 0.69 | $23,040 | $20,140 | $29,970 | -36% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 6,650 | 1.11 | $15,080 | $15,080 | $36,230 | -57% |
| Construction Laborers | 6,300 | 2.18 | $38,650 | $30,960 | $59,170 | -18% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 6,110 | 0.82 | $34,840 | $28,940 | $48,300 | -7% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 5,950 | 1.32 | $40,910 | $28,340 | $57,560 | -14% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 5,830 | 1.07 | $54,840 | $39,400 | $74,180 | -6% |
| Food Preparation Workers | 5,800 | 2.46 | $24,450 | $18,870 | $33,800 | -31% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 5,750 | 0.84 | $38,760 | $29,460 | $53,670 | -13% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 5,300 | 0.91 | $28,690 | $22,210 | $42,830 | -22% |
| Office Clerks, General | 5,020 | 0.77 | $32,520 | $21,180 | $49,670 | -28% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 4,700 | 1.64 | $61,110 | $39,010 | $105,690 | -26% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | 4,680 | 2.19 | $78,870 | $58,000 | $105,640 | -1% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 4,450 | 1.22 | $59,310 | $48,340 | $77,500 | -7% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 4,060 | 1.12 | $46,740 | $31,200 | $69,720 | -8% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | 1,060 | 1.17 | $413,620 | $209,630 | $472,910 | +56% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 560 | 0.96 | $165,060 | $128,420 | $218,050 | -4% |
| Industrial Production Managers | 690 | 1.06 | $139,860 | $85,480 | $222,760 | +11% |
| Mechanical Engineers | 540 | 0.69 | $135,530 | $76,690 | $195,960 | +30% |
| Pharmacists | 960 | 1.14 | $134,680 | $113,770 | $161,240 | -4% |
| Financial Managers | 1,770 | 0.80 | $129,310 | $82,340 | $223,710 | -22% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 1,010 | 1.19 | $129,070 | $97,500 | $161,150 | -2% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 950 | 0.54 | $120,210 | $85,930 | $196,130 | -31% |
| Construction Managers | 2,170 | 2.17 | $118,770 | $75,660 | $179,150 | +3% |
| Sales Managers | 1,070 | 0.64 | $116,740 | $63,910 | $244,480 | -21% |
| Civil Engineers | 1,140 | 1.18 | $112,430 | $71,990 | $164,420 | +11% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 1,520 | 0.96 | $107,420 | $79,210 | $232,300 | -13% |
| General and Operations Managers | 8,230 | 0.89 | $107,140 | $56,470 | $230,820 | +1% |
| Managers, All Other | 3,300 | 2.02 | $105,340 | $66,400 | $175,270 | -26% |
| Administrative Services Managers | 990 | 1.42 | $104,700 | $64,240 | $166,710 | -8% |
| Lawyers | 2,300 | 1.16 | $102,070 | $17,870 | $194,460 | -36% |
| Software Developers | 980 | 0.22 | $101,900 | $65,090 | $135,530 | -25% |
| Engineers, All Other | 1,780 | 4.39 | $101,720 | $54,980 | $167,900 | -17% |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | 1,060 | 1.23 | $99,810 | $75,740 | $133,730 | -6% |
| Management Analysts | 1,210 | 0.51 | $99,680 | $57,590 | $208,780 | -2% |
These figures are for the whole Baton Rouge, LA metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $48,710 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.6% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 21.6% |
| Public administration | 11.0% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 10.8% |
| Manufacturing | 10.5% |
| Construction | 9.3% |
| Retail trade | 8.5% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 7.8% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 6.5% |
| Other services | 5.6% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 4.8% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.7% |
| Information | 1.6% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.4% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Central lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Baton Rouge Parish | 452,938 | $47,132 million | $104,059 | 270,603 | 19,119 | $66,778 | +1.5% | 3.7% | 228,541 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 43,899 | 19.8% | $63,099 | 1.13 |
| Construction | 30,414 | 13.8% | $92,129 | 2.14 |
| Retail trade | 24,532 | 11.1% | $38,865 | 0.91 |
| Accommodation and food services | 22,360 | 10.1% | $22,376 | 0.91 |
| Professional and technical services | 19,275 | 8.7% | $97,522 | 1.02 |
| Administrative and waste services | 17,207 | 7.8% | $55,591 | 1.08 |
| Finance and insurance | 11,145 | 5.0% | $94,665 | 1.01 |
| Manufacturing | 10,851 | 4.9% | $100,434 | 0.49 |
| Wholesale trade | 8,952 | 4.0% | $87,759 | 0.84 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 7,585 | 3.4% | $70,044 | 0.66 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 7,156 | 3.2% | $50,777 | 0.88 |
| Educational services | 4,668 | 2.1% | $49,017 | 0.83 |
| Management of companies | 4,072 | 1.8% | $120,333 | 0.89 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 3,969 | 1.8% | $30,209 | 0.87 |
| Real estate and rental | 3,691 | 1.7% | $57,582 | 0.88 |
| Utilities | 1,092 | 0.5% | $111,587 | 1.06 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 260 | 0.1% | $135,885 | 0.25 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 45 | 0.0% | $42,636 | 0.02 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 82.4% |
| Public transit | 0.0% |
| Walk | 0.3% |
| Work from home | 10.1% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 13.2% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $89,554 |
| Income per person | $43,056 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,309 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 17.5% |
| Median home value | $288,700 |
| Homeowners | 88.8% |
| Poverty rate | 5.4% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 90.8 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $48,710 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 3.00%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 40.4 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 96.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 35.3% |
| Born abroad | 1.3% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 63.3% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9.7 | 49 | 126 |
| Feb | 12.1 | 54 | 118 |
| Mar | 15.9 | 61 | 109 |
| Apr | 19.8 | 68 | 114 |
| May | 24.1 | 75 | 136 |
| Jun | 27.3 | 81 | 166 |
| Jul | 27.8 | 82 | 152 |
| Aug | 27.8 | 82 | 166 |
| Sep | 25.5 | 78 | 125 |
| Oct | 20.7 | 69 | 120 |
| Nov | 15.0 | 59 | 93 |
| Dec | 11.3 | 52 | 135 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merrydale | LA | 6 mi | 9,490 | $41,500 | $1,311 |
| Denham Springs | LA | 7 mi | 9,323 | $71,569 | $1,014 |
| Baker | LA | 7 mi | 12,253 | $54,750 | $993 |
| Baton Rouge | LA | 10 mi | 222,771 | $49,994 | $1,067 |
| Zachary | LA | 11 mi | 19,952 | $84,480 | $1,527 |
| Shenandoah | LA | 11 mi | 17,998 | $107,021 | $1,201 |
| Old Jefferson | LA | 13 mi | 7,860 | $92,075 | $1,357 |
| Oak Hills Place | LA | 13 mi | 9,038 | $92,306 | $1,422 |
| Village St. George | LA | 14 mi | 8,273 | $96,364 | $1,451 |
| Gardere | LA | 15 mi | 12,223 | $55,409 | $1,157 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
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29,783 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,309 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 17.5% of the median household income.
$89,554 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.7% (BLS county, East Baton Rouge Parish (latest month 2026M09)).
Louisiana. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.