Census-designated place · East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana

Merrydale, Louisiana

Merrydale is a census-designated place in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, part of the Baton Rouge, LA metro area. It has 9,490 residents. Merrydale, Louisiana has a quality-of-life score of 12 out of 100 (very low), ranking #13,734 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Louisiana it ranks #92 of 262 cities and towns. It ranks best on effective property tax rate (low), gyms and fitness centers (high) and distance to an emergency room (low). It ranks worst on property crime rate (high), lack of reliable transportation (high) and homicide rate (high).

12Very low

Quality-of-life score: #13,734 of 15,651 cities and towns
Louisiana: #92 of 262 in LA
Population: 9,490 (2020-2024)
Land area: 4 mi²
Density: 2,236.4 /mi²
FIPS code: 2249940

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 75 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety1#15,514/15,637
Economy7#14,478/15,631
Housing29#10,640/14,977
Health7#14,555/15,609
Healthcare81#3,052/15,650
Environment20#12,401/15,453
Education8#14,423/15,649
Infrastructure10#14,058/15,650
Community24#11,864/15,651
Leisure & amenities95#845/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Merrydale, Louisiana ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “East Baton Rouge Parish value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Effective property tax rate · low0.25%
98/100Louisiana 0.55%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Gyms and fitness centers · high2.5 /10k
97/100Louisiana 1.4 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsEast Baton Rouge Parish value
Distance to an emergency room · low3.0 mi
92/100Louisiana 5.4 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesEast Baton Rouge Parish value
Pharmacies · high2.5 /10k
91/100Louisiana 2.7 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsEast Baton Rouge Parish value
Primary care shortage · low0.0
90/100Louisiana 9.9United States 6.2Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationEast Baton Rouge Parish value
New business applications · high19.7 /1k
89/100Louisiana 16.4 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauEast Baton Rouge Parish value

Weaknesses

Property crime rate · high4,079 /100k
0/100Louisiana 1,966 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2023Federal Bureau of InvestigationEast Baton Rouge Parish value
Lack of reliable transportation · high21.8%
1/100Louisiana 11.8%United States 8.3%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Homicide rate · high19.0 /100k
1/100Louisiana 11.8 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataEast Baton Rouge Parish value
Unemployment rate · high19.5%
1/100Louisiana 4.3%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025
Loneliness · high41.2%
2/100Louisiana 37.4%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Food insecurity · high42.8%
2/100Louisiana 23.2%United States 15.6%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
8,903 (2015-2019) → 9,490 (2020-2024)
+6.6%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Child poverty rateImproving
49.4% (2015-2019) → 28.0% (2020-2024)
−21 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
62.0% (2015-2019) → 50.3% (2020-2024)
−12 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
74.5% (2015-2019) → 86.1% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Unemployment rateWorsening
10.2% (2015-2019) → 19.5% (2020-2024)
+9.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%
Rent as share of incomeImproving
39.0% (2015-2019) → 30.1% (2020-2024)
−8.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Merrydale, Louisiana improved on 2 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 11 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved2

Child poverty−21 points49.4% → 28.0%
Broadband+12 points74.5% → 86.1%

Declined1

Unemployment+9.3 points10.2% → 19.5%

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Merrydale, Louisiana between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	21.8 min2015-2019	26.7 min2020-2024	+4.9 min	Within the margin of error	10%
Bachelor's degree or higher	16.8%2015-2019	16.9%2020-2024	+0.2 points	Within the margin of error	28%
Broadband subscriptions	74.5%2015-2019	86.1%2020-2024	+12 points	Improved	67%
Child poverty rate	49.4%2015-2019	28.0%2020-2024	−21 points	Improved	94%
Effective property tax rate	0.22%2015-2019	0.25%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	13%
High school diploma or higher	89.2%2015-2019	85.8%2020-2024	−3.4 points	Within the margin of error	10%
Home price to income ratio	3.0×2015-2019	3.3×2020-2024	+0.3×	Within the margin of error	61%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5152015-2019	0.5132020-2024	−0.001	Within the margin of error	52%
Median household income	$36,9162015-2019	$41,5002020-2024	+12%	Within the margin of error	20%
Poverty rate	28.7%2015-2019	30.0%2020-2024	+1.3 points	Within the margin of error	32%
Rent as share of income	39.0%2015-2019	30.1%2020-2024	−8.9 points	Within the margin of error	92%
Rent-burdened households	62.0%2015-2019	50.3%2020-2024	−12 points	Within the margin of error	85%
Unemployment rate	10.2%2015-2019	19.5%2020-2024	+9.3 points	Declined	1%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	11.7%2015-2019	8.9%2020-2024	−2.7 points	Within the margin of error	75%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Merrydale, Louisiana five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Merrydale, Louisiana in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Merrydale, Louisiana itself moved +1.2 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

9,490 residents (±1,631)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 20–29 women (−4.4 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

9,490 residents (±1,631)

Merrydale, Louisiana
Louisiana share

White0.4%†36
Black97%9,186
Hispanic or Latino1.7%†164

Education

6,221 residents (±1,031)

Merrydale, Louisiana
Louisiana share

No high school diploma14%†882
High school or GED34%2,095
Some college26%1,636

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

3,372 households (±499)

Merrydale, Louisiana
Louisiana share

Under $25k38%†1,282
$25k–50k16%†544
$50k–75k17%†590
$75k–100k9.5%†322
$100k–150k12%†391
$150k–200k2.4%†81
$200k or more4.8%†162

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $25k–50k (−20.8 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

3,372 households (±499)

Merrydale, Louisiana
Louisiana share

Own74%2,486
Rent26%886

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Rent (−12.7 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

833 households (±266)

Merrydale, Louisiana
Louisiana share

Under $75010.0%†83
$750–1,00017%†145
$1,000–1,50054%†447

Home values

2,486 homes (±499)

Merrydale, Louisiana
Louisiana share

Under $150k56%†1,389
$150k–250k36%†886
$250k–400k6.5%†161

Age of homes

3,772 homes (±519)

Merrydale, Louisiana
Louisiana share

2010 or later9.3%†350
2000–20097.4%†278
1980–199917%†659

Size of homes

3,772 homes (±519)

Merrydale, Louisiana
Louisiana share

Studio2.0%†75
1 bedroom4.8%†180
2 bedrooms6.8%†258

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

3,120 workers (±640)

Merrydale, Louisiana
Louisiana share

Drive alone56%†1,732
Carpool33%†1,026
Public transit1.1%†35
Walk0.0%0
Bike0.5%†16
Work from home10.0%†311
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−31.8 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

2,809 workers (±584)

Merrydale, Louisiana
Louisiana share

Under 15 min14%†382
15–29 min45%†1,263
30–44 min28%†

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Baton Rouge, LA

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of East Baton Rouge Parish, the county holding most of Merrydale's residents.

East Baton Rouge Parish has 12,542 employer establishments, 278 for every 10,000 residents (1.12× the US rate of 248; 1.18× Louisiana's), with 244,574 paid employees at an average annual pay of $60,945. The Census Bureau also counts 46,906 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 12,542; 46,906 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 278; US 248 · Louisiana 236
Paid employees: 244,574
Average annual pay: $60,945; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of East Baton Rouge Parish by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	1,048	23.2	1.11×About typical	15,692	$74,376	2,570
Restaurants and other eating places	906	20.1	1.09×About typical	19,419	$20,167	290
Lessors of real estate	572	12.7	1.03×About typical	2,288	$55,757	4,515
Specialty trade contractors	552	12.2	0.79×Fewer than typical	11,743	$79,233	2,393
Legal services	496	11	2.04×More than typical	3,150	$82,002	661
Limited-service restaurants	477	10.6	1.32×More than typical	8,555	$17,415	91
Architectural, engineering and related services	335	7.4	2.13×More than typical	7,213	$91,272	407
Offices of physicians	316	7	1.08×About typical	6,609	$111,299	532
Construction of buildings	309	6.8	0.90×About typical	4,016	$71,704	1,255
Insurance agencies and brokerages	306	6.8	1.54×More than typical	2,392	$117,434	684
Personal care services	305	6.8	1.41×More than typical	1,256	$32,911	4,668
Full-service restaurants	295	6.5	0.85×About typical	9,175	$23,254	91

Rank places for an industry Open East Baton Rouge Parish

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 451,709 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated -$3,708 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Merrydale, Louisiana: -$0.39 per resident (US $2,007).

Obligations: -$3,708
Per resident: -$0.39; US $2,007
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.7%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

National Aeronautics and Space Administration$2,5970.0%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$3190.0%

Top recipients

INTERNATIONAL MANUFACTURERS REPRESENTATIVES, INC$2,5970.0%
WASTE MANAGEMENT OF LOUISIANA, L.L.C$3960.0%
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS LLC$3190.0%
EQUIPMENT DEPOT MISSISSIPPI INC$2960.0%
TRUBLUE WATER LLC-$87.440.0%

Spending by fiscal year

1.2MFY2017
59.5KFY2018
97.6KFY2019
22.3KFY2020
1.1MFY2021
242.8KFY2022
-596.5KFY2023
587.4KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Other general purpose machinery manufacturing · 3339$2,5970.0%
Waste treatment and disposal · 5622$3960.0%
Justice, public order, and safety activities · 9221$3190.0%
Commercial and industrial machinery and equipment rental and leasing · 5324$1100.0%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 9, 2026, loaded Oct 9, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Merrydale, Louisiana, so they do not add up across cities.

Merrydale, Louisiana's figures are part of those of East Baton Rouge Parish, LA ($97M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Merrydale is mostly in East Baton Rouge Parish.

See federal money in East Baton Rouge Parish

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Merrydale, Louisiana is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

East Baton Rouge Parish39100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Baton Rouge, LA33

Other cities and towns in East Baton Rouge Parish

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/2249940

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends