Lake Charles, Louisiana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lake Charles, LA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Lake Charles | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 71,636 | 4,610,276 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1423.1 | 88.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.91% | -0.10% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.1 | 35.9 | 37.3 |
| Households | 28,258 | 1,803,262 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lake Charles grew by 12.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 71,636 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lake Charles is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 24.1% of residents. That is 2.6 points above Louisiana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 17,275 24.1% +2.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 14,742 20.6% -1.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 13,412 18.7% -0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 11,781 16.4% -0.7 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Louisiana, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.5% of the people living in Lake Charles and men 48.5%.
- Women 51.5% Louisiana 51.1%
- Men 48.5% Louisiana 48.9%
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Economy
Lake Charles has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Lake Charles | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,493 | $60,934 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.06% | 3.69% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.9% | 6.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lake Charles is about 7% lower than in Louisiana.
Housing
| Metric | Lake Charles | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $158,439 | $170,446 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,078 | $1,063 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 61.4% | 67.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lake Charles is about 12.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,078 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lake Charles spend about 31 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 130 hours, about 5.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lake Charles | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.6 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 31.1 | 42.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 130 | 177 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,017 | $5,493 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.5% | 8.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 18,799 | 8,275 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,290 | 1,164 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Lake Charles is 16 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Louisiana.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Lake Charles has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Lake Charles | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.3% | 24.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.46 | 2.49 | 2.53 |
Health
Lake Charles has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Lake Charles | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.4 | 75.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 23.5% | 22.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.5% | 23.9% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lake Charles, Louisiana.
How big is Lake Charles, Louisiana by population?
About 71,636 people live in Lake Charles, Louisiana, in 28,258 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 37.1, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Lake Charles, Louisiana urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Lake Charles, Louisiana has 1,423 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 16 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Lake Charles, Louisiana?
The median home costs 2.8 times the median household income ($158,439 against $56,493), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,078 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Lake Charles, Louisiana?
Unemployment in Lake Charles, Louisiana is 6.9%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Lake Charles, Louisiana?
23.3% of adults in Lake Charles, Louisiana hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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