Lake Charles, Louisiana Housing Market Prices
Lake Charles Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 7% below the Louisiana median$158,439
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Median rent 1% above the Louisiana median$1,078
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Lake Charles | Louisiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $158,439 | $170,446 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 6.0% | 4.3% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,078 | $1,063 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 5.0% | 3.7% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Lake Charles is about 7% lower than in Louisiana. Rent is about 1% higher than the Louisiana average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Lake Charles, up about 6.0% and 5.0% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Lake Charles rose about 49.2% between 2015 and 2024, from $722 to $1,078. Over the same span, rent in Louisiana rose about 35.1%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 2.8 yearly household incomes in Lake Charles.
Buying the median-priced home in Lake Charles costs roughly 12.2 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Lake Charles. The price-to-rent ratio in Louisiana is about 13.4.
| Metric | Lake Charles | Louisiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $158,439 | $170,446 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $56,493 | $60,934 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 2.8 | 2.8 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Lake Charles rose about 77.5%, while median household income rose about 51.2% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Lake Charles | Louisiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 47.6% | 57.7% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 29.9% | 27.9% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 22.5% | 14.4% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 13.0 | 16.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2013 | 2010 | 2011 |
Lake Charles has a homeownership rate of 47.6%, lower than the Louisiana average of 57.7%. Its housing vacancy rate is 22.5%, compared with 14.4% in Louisiana.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Lake Charles | Louisiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.46 people | 2.49 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1982 | 1983 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Lake Charles was built around 1982. On average, 2.5 people live in a home with about 5.4 rooms, staying for about 13.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
What is the median home price in Lake Charles, Louisiana?
The median home price in Lake Charles, Louisiana is $158,439, lower than the Louisiana average of $170,446.
What is the average home price in Lake Charles, Louisiana?
The typical home price in Lake Charles, Louisiana, reported as the median sale price, is $158,439. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Lake Charles, Louisiana?
The median gross rent in Lake Charles, Louisiana is $1,078 per month, higher than the Louisiana average of $1,063.
What was the median gross rent in Lake Charles in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Lake Charles, Louisiana was $811 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Lake Charles, Louisiana?
The price-to-rent ratio in Lake Charles, Louisiana is about 12.2, meaning it would take roughly 12.2 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Lake Charles.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Lake Charles, Louisiana?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Lake Charles, up about 6.0% and 5.0% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Lake Charles, Louisiana?
47.6% of households in Lake Charles, Louisiana own their home, lower than the Louisiana average of 57.7%.
What is the vacancy rate in Lake Charles, Louisiana?
The housing vacancy rate in Lake Charles, Louisiana is 22.5%, higher than the Louisiana average of 14.4%.
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