Census place 2241155

Lake Charles

A Census profile of the people, homes, and daily patterns that shape this place.

Official Census name: Lake Charles city

Relocation snapshot

What stands out in Lake Charles.

According to the 2025 estimate, Lake Charles has a population of 82,676 and 1,741 residents per square mile. Of the six relocation measures evaluated, the three largest relative differences from the median among 35 covered Louisiana places are: typical commute is 17 minutes, below the comparison median of 22.3 minutes; median gross rent is $1,109, above the comparison median of $994; and population density is 1,741/sq mi, above the comparison median of 1,592/sq mi. These unweighted medians compare covered Census places and are not statewide estimates.

typical commute
17 minutes
Below the comparison median of 22.3 minutes
median gross rent
$1,109
Above the comparison median of $994
population density
1,741/sq mi
Above the comparison median of 1,592/sq mi

National context

Follow the metrics.

Compare Lake Charles's values with other covered Census places. Rankings are descriptive, not recommendations.

At a glance

A city in numbers.

Population
82,676
2025 estimate
Annual change
+1.5%
Population estimate
Density
1,741/sq mi
47.5 sq mi land area
Median age
36.6 years
ACS 5-year estimate

Living here

The everyday equation.

Households, homes, education, and the time it takes to get around.

Median household income
$59,235
Median home value
$214,300
Median gross rent
$1,109
Bachelor’s degree or higher
29.1%
Typical commute
17 min
Drive-alone commute
80.2%
Public transit commute
0.1%
Walked to work
2.4%

Housing

Who rents, and what it takes.

Renter share and rent burden help describe the housing choices visible in this place.

Renter-occupied homes
39.1%
Renters paying 30%+ of income
57.4%

Work

How the workday lands.

Employment status and working-from-home share add context to income and commuting patterns.

Employed residents 16+
57.2%
Unemployed residents 16+
4.1%
Working from home
5%

Community

The everyday infrastructure.

Access, mobility, housing growth, and household composition add another layer to a place's day-to-day picture.

Households with broadband
85.4%
Homes built 2020+
3.7%
Households without a vehicle
10.5%
Households with children
26.2%
Residents with a disability
15.5%
Residents without insurance
8.3%

Environmental context

A record of declared events.

FEMA declarations for Calcasieu Parish provide historical context, not a forecast or a property-level risk assessment.

Environmental declarations since 2000
30
Hurricane declarations
21
Coastal Storm declarations
3
Flood declarations
2

Climate normals

The long view of weather.

Thirty-year averages, not a forecast. Temperature and precipitation describe the typical conditions recorded from 1991 through 2020.

Representative station: LAKE CHARLES (5 mi from place center)
Average high
79.3°F
Average low
60.1°F
Annual rainfall
59.7"
Annual snowfall
0"

Month by month

A year in Lake Charles.

Typical high and low °F
40°F60°F80°F100°F
JFMAMJJASOND
Typical precipitation inches

Data vintage

Population is from the 2025 Population Estimates Program. Household, housing, education, and commute data are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year release. Disaster declarations are from FEMA's OpenFEMA dataset and are refreshed with this edition.

Similar places

More places to consider.

Selected by the closest mix of population, density, median home value, and average annual high.

Bryan, TX

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
91,996
Median home
$227,800

Longview, TX

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
83,236
Median home
$202,600

Baytown, TX

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
86,561
Median home
$197,300

Keep exploring

Compare Lake Charles with Bryan