City in Louisiana, United States

Lake Charles

$198kMedian Home
308Sunny Days/yr
Loading Weather
View on MapPopulation76kCenter elevation13 ft
Quick Read

Lake Charles is the fifth-most populous city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and the parish seat of Calcasieu Parish, located on the namesake lake, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Founded in 1861 in Calcasieu Parish, it is a major industrial, cultural, and educational center in the southwest region of Louisiana. As of the 2020 U.S. census, Lake Charles's population was 84,872.

01

Where It Is

Location Context
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Latitude30.21°
Longitude-93.20°
Population76k
Center elevation13 ft

State Context

LouisianaU.S. state

Louisiana is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is bordered by Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25th in population, with roughly 4.6 million residents.Wikipedia

Income tax: 1.85% - 4.25%Avg sales tax: 9.56%Property tax: 0.53%Official school data available

About the Region

South Central

Texas draws more domestic migrants than any other state, driven by no personal income tax, a rapidly diversifying economy, and housing that — outside Austin — remains relatively affordable by national standards. The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex is the country's largest inland metro, anchored by corporate relocations and financial services. Houston's energy-tech hybrid and the Austin-San Antonio corridor's tech and university cluster give the state genuine economic breadth that goes well beyond oil and gas.

The climate is the sharpest tradeoff. Summers are long and frequently exceed 100°F across central and west Texas, with Gulf Coast cities like Houston blending the heat with intense humidity from May through October. Oklahoma and northern Texas sit squarely in Tornado Alley, with peak severe weather from March through May. Those who adapt to the heat find that the outdoor living culture — especially in the Texas Hill Country, coastal Louisiana, and the Ozarks — offers a richness that outsiders often underestimate.

02

Nature Access

Nature & Park Feeds

Closest protected landscapes, reserves, and big park systems surfaced from the same nearby feeds used in compare.

Distances in miles
National Park Service feed

Federal Park Sites

Loading nearby nature feeds...
OpenStreetMap feed

Local Nature & Reserves

Loading nearby nature feeds...
Sources: National Park Service and OpenStreetMap
03

City Profile

Median Age32 yrs
College Educated36%bachelor's or higher
Work From Home6%of workforce
Poverty Rate10%
04

Cost of Living

Housing
$1k/mo
Median rent
$198k
Median home price
Rent burden18% of income
Household Income
$73k
Median annual
05

Livability

School Rating
7.7/10
Internet
Fiber
53%
Cable
77%
address availability
06

Climate

Sunshine
308
sunny days per year
84% of the year
Annual precipitation
71"
inches per year
Air Quality
44
Good AQI
08

Current Conditions

10

Local Next Steps

Local Sponsored Directory

Local Sponsored Directory

Local businesses and services related to Lake Charles. Want your business listed here?

Featured local sponsorAD
Put your business at the top in Lake Charles
Higher-visibility city-page placement for local businesses that want more presence than a standard directory listing.
Founding pricing is still available while this first featured slot is open.
Apartments & rentalsAD
Help people land in Lake Charles
For apartment groups, rentals, furnished stays, and other housing options.
Moving & logisticsAD
Catch people at the practical moment
For movers, storage, shipping, car transport, and relocation logistics.
Local services & favoritesAD
Anything useful in Lake Charles
Pizza joints, local lenders, insurers, cleaning services, coffee shops, and other everyday local businesses.

Compare Lake Charles with other cities

Stack it side-by-side against cities you're considering.

Quick Compare