Baker, Louisiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Baker, Louisiana
City
City of Baker
Location of Baker in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
Baker, Louisiana Location in Louisiana Show map of Louisiana Baker, Louisiana Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Parish	East Baton Rouge
Area
• Total	8.40 sq mi (21.75 km2)
• Land	8.40 sq mi (21.75 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Population  (2020)
• Total	12,455
• Density	1,482.91/sq mi (572.53/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
FIPS code	22-03985

Baker is a city in the state of Louisiana, in a part of the state called East Baton Rouge Parish. It is part of the larger Baton Rouge area. In 2020, about 12,455 people lived in Baker. This was a bit less than the 13,895 people who lived there in 2010.

A Look Back

Baker got its name in 1888. It was named after one of the first people who settled there.

Where is Baker?

Baker is located north of the center of East Baton Rouge Parish. It is next to Zachary to the north and Baton Rouge to the south. The city covers about 21.5 square kilometers (about 8.3 square miles) of land. There is no water area within the city limits.

Getting Around Baker

Louisiana Highway 19 runs through the middle of Baker. It goes north about 4 miles (6 km) to Zachary and south about 5 miles (8 km) to U.S. Route 61 in Baton Rouge. Downtown Baton Rouge is about 11 miles (18 km) south of Baker. Another road, Louisiana Highway 67, goes through the eastern part of Baker. It leads north about 22 miles (35 km) to Clinton and south about 9 miles (14 km) into the center of Baton Rouge.

Who Lives in Baker?

People in 2020

In 2020, the city of Baker had 12,455 people living there. There were 4,693 households and 3,097 families. Most people in Baker were Black or African American (about 82%). About 13% were White. A smaller number of people were Native American, Asian, Pacific Islander, or from other backgrounds. About 2% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Life in Baker

In 2019, the average household in Baker had about 2.83 people. The average family size was 3.63 people. The median age of people in Baker was about 34.8 years old. This means half the people were younger than 34.8, and half were older.

Many people in Baker own their homes, with about 67% of homes being owned by the people living in them. The median household income was about $53,082. This means half of the households earned more than this amount, and half earned less.

After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, many people from New Orleans moved to Baker. The city helped by setting up a place called Renaissance Village. More than 3,000 people, including over 500 school-aged children, found a temporary home there.

Baker Buffalo Festival

The Baker Buffalo Festival is a fun event held every year in Baker. It takes place on the last full weekend in September. The festival started in 1993 to help raise money for schools in Baker. Schools and their groups use the festival to collect funds for their activities. The Festival Committee also gives money to all the schools that take part. The festival includes a parade, a Queen's pageant, and a car show.

National Guard in Baker

Baker is home to a special unit of the National Guard. This unit is called the 926th MAC (mobility augmentation company). It is part of a larger group called the 769th Engineer Battalion, which is based in Baton Rouge. These units are part of the 225th Engineer Brigade, located at Pineville. The National Guard helps with emergencies at home and can also be called to serve overseas.

Twin Cities

Baker has a special connection with another city far away. This is called a "twin city" relationship, which helps build friendships and understanding between different places.

Flag	City	Country
	Joal-Fadiouth	Senegal

Learning in Baker

Students in Baker attend schools that are part of the City of Baker School System. Baker High School is the main high school for the city. Some areas near Baker, which have Baker addresses but are not officially part of the city, send their students to schools in the East Baton Rouge Parish Public Schools system.

Baker also has a public library branch. The East Baton Rouge Parish Library operates the Baker Branch, which is located across from Baker High School. The library first opened in 1941 in a tea room! It moved several times before its current building, which is about 17,900 square feet (1,663 square meters) in size, opened in April 2001.

Famous People from Baker

Many interesting people have connections to Baker:

• Barbara West Carpenter was a dean at Southern University and served as a state representative for East Baton Rouge Parish. She lives in Baker.
• Don Lemon is a well-known author and journalist. He graduated from Baker High School.
• Rufus D. Hayes was the first insurance commissioner for Louisiana. He also worked as a district attorney and judge. He lived in Baker.
• Tony Perkins is a politician who used to be a state representative for Louisiana. He lived in Baker before moving to Washington, D.C.
• Linda Thomas-Greenfield was born in Baker. She is currently the United States Ambassador to the United Nations and used to be an Assistant Secretary of State.

See also

In Spanish: Baker (Luisiana) para niños