Baton Rouge Duluth

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Baton Rouge to Duluth is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 90.8 to 88.8 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $28/mo.

+$8,518
BLS median salary higher in Duluth
410 to 259
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
16.8:1 to 15.8:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$4,326
DOL infant care higher / yr in Duluth

BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.

Verdict
Favorable
Cost Index: 90.8 → 88.8
Rent Delta: +$28/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $9K higher median salary
  • + Lower violent crime rate
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - More expensive childcare

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 90.8 to 88.8 (ratio 0.98), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent barely moves ($1,204 → $1,232); the housing line is not the swing factor on this corridor.

Duluth leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, a destination-heavy ledger. Duluth sits #79 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (top third of the corpus). Baton Rouge is #291/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $8,518 higher ($61,934 → $70,452). Labor-market size: 395,730 tracked jobs at origin vs 117,960 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Louisiana scores 67 (C, #15/51) vs Minnesota at 49 (F, #43/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Baton Rouge
Duluth
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 90.8
RPP 88.8
Duluth
Rent (2BR)
$1,204/mo
$1,232/mo
Baton Rouge
Wages
$61,934
$70,452
Duluth
Crime
410 per 100K
259 per 100K
Duluth
Schools
16.8:1
15.8:1
Duluth
Childcare
$7,396/yr
$11,722/yr
Baton Rouge
Environment
14536 violations
1033 violations
Duluth

State retirement friendliness

Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.

Origin state · Louisiana
67 C #15/51
Income tax
78
Property tax
79
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
8
Destination state · Minnesota
49 F #43/51
Income tax
60
Property tax
62
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
34

Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).

Salary Adjustment Calculator

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

Equivalent salary in Duluth
-

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026