Baton Rouge → Wilmington
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Baton Rouge to Wilmington is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 90.8 to 96.4 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $222/mo.
- +$2,362
- BLS median salary higher in Wilmington
- 410 to 365
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 16.8:1 to 15.8:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $2,091
- DOL infant care higher / yr in Wilmington
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.
Pros of Moving
- + $2K higher median salary
- + Fewer environmental violations
Cons of Moving
- - 6% higher cost of living
- - $222/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - More expensive childcare
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 90.8 to 96.4, so the same paycheck buys less in Wilmington (ratio 1.06). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $222/mo ($2,664/yr) from $1,204 in Baton Rouge to $1,426 in Wilmington.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Wilmington sits #201 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Baton Rouge is #291/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $2,362 higher ($61,934 → $64,296). Labor-market size: 395,730 tracked jobs at origin vs 183,460 at destination.
State retirement friendliness is near-even: Louisiana 67 (C, #15/51) vs North Carolina 68 (C, #13/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.
State retirement friendliness
Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.
- Income tax
- 78
- Property tax
- 79
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 8
- Income tax
- 68
- Property tax
- 66
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 30
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 Wilmington to maintain the same purchasing power.
Wilmington metro profile · Livability rankings · Methodology
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