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# BR Dead last. A decade of proof.
- URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/br-dead-last-a-decade-of-proof/
- Published: 2026-03-24T21:34:45.000Z
- Updated: 2026-03-24T21:34:45.000Z
- Description: Where a city ranks on growth, prosperity, and inclusion determines whether its residents can find good jobs, build wealth and access opportunity.
- Author: JR Ball
- Tags: News, Analysis

Baton Rouge ranks dead last among its peer cities in economic inclusion—and near the bottom in growth and prosperity—according to a decade of new federal data analyzed by the Brookings Institution.

The[ Metro Monitor 2026](https://www.brookings.edu/articles/metro-monitor-2026/?ref=redeyebr.com) tracks 15 economic indicators across 196 metro areas from 2014 to 2024\. Among 55 large metros with populations between 500,000 and 1 million, Baton Rouge ranked 46th in growth, 41st in prosperity, and 55th—last—in overall economic inclusion.

**Why it matters:** Where a city ranks on growth, prosperity, and inclusion determines whether its residents can find good jobs, build wealth and access opportunity. **For Baton Rouge**, a decade of bottom-tier finishes is also a direct headwind to economic development efforts, diversification away from petrochemicals and the region's long struggle to attract and retain young professionals.

**What it means:** A decade of data rules out bad luck. This is structural.

- The city's **employment rate grew by just 1.0 percentage point** over 10 years, last place among comparable American cities.
- **Poverty got worse**, not better, up 0.7 points over the same period.
- **The gap between Baton Rouge's wealthiest and poorest neighborhoods** widened faster than in nearly every peer city—53rd in geographic inclusion and dead last in neighborhood employment gaps.
- The racial employment gap between white residents and people of color widened 3.3 points, ranking 53rd.
- **The one bright spot:** median earnings rose 23.8%, a top-half finish. But rising wages while employment stagnates and poverty spreads tell you exactly who's getting ahead.

The cities consistently outperforming Baton Rouge—**Raleigh, Charlotte, Nashville**—share a common profile: diversified economies, growing immigrant workforces, and sustained investment in knowledge industries. Brookings found that metros with the largest increases in foreign-born workers saw the strongest job and wage growth over the decade. **Baton Rouge's foreign-born population sits at roughly 5%**—well below the national average for large metros.

**The bottom line:** The report doesn't describe a city going through a rough patch. It describes a city that has been losing ground, measurably and consistently, for 10 years. 

*(See the* [*data*](https://www.brookings.edu/articles/metro-monitor-2026/?utm%5Fcampaign=Brookings%20Brief&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcontent=409478316&utm%5Fsource=hs%5Femail)*. Read the* [*full report*](https://www.brookings.edu/articles/metro-monitor-2026-immigration-and-regional-economic-performance/?utm%5Fcampaign=Brookings%20Brief&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcontent=409478316&utm%5Fsource=hs%5Femail)*.)*

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