Housing Value★★★★★★★★★★3.5 / 5Home values compared with local household income.
Living in Lake Charles, LA
Explore Lake Charles and see how it fits the life you want to build.
Overall Match6.4 / 10
Baseline match from currently available location scores. Choose priorities to personalize it.
Lake Charles at a Glance
Key facts and current data
Population81,143
Median Household Income$59,235
Median Home Value$214,300
Median Gross Rent$1,109
Median Age36.6
Average Household Size2.5
Unemployment6.6%
Work From Home5.0%
Homeownership60.9%
Housing Vacancy21.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year.
Lake Charles is a mid-sized community where local neighborhoods, nearby job centers and regional access can matter as much as citywide averages.
Experience the Area
Experience Life in Lake Charles Before You Move
Explore Short-Term Stays in Lake Charles →Stay options powered by Stay22 · affiliate
NarrowTheList highly recommends you spend a week or two in Lake Charles and experience everyday life before deciding whether it is the right place to call home. Use that time to explore neighborhoods, drive your normal routes, shop where residents shop, and get a feel for the area at different times of day.
NarrowTheList Ratings
Data-driven starter ratings. More categories appear automatically as new datasets are added.
Housing & Cost of Living in Lake Charles
Current housing indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau
Median Home Value$214,300
Median Gross Rent$1,109
Homeownership60.9%
Housing Vacancy21.3%
Home values are moderately high relative to local household income, making neighborhood-level price differences important for buyers. The housing mix leans toward owner-occupied homes while still supporting a meaningful rental market.
Jobs, Income & Remote Work
Employment and household-income context for Lake Charles, LA
Median Household Income$59,235
Unemployment6.6%
Work From Home5.0%
The reported unemployment rate is elevated enough to warrant a closer look at current local employment conditions.
Population & Household Profile
Who lives in Lake Charles and how households are structured
Population81,143
Median Age36.6
Average Household Size2.5
Lake Charles is a mid-sized community where neighborhood and nearby-employment patterns can materially affect a relocation decision.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year. NarrowTheList presents these values as relocation context; conditions can vary within a community.
Climate & Weather in Lake Charles
Long-term NOAA climate normals and practical seasonal context
NOAA climate normals for Lake Charles point to hot summers, cool winters, substantial annual rainfall and little to no annual snowfall.
Average Summer High92.2°F
Average Winter Low43.4°F
Annual Rainfall65.1 in.
Annual Snowfall0.0 in.
Seasonal Life in Lake Charles
What the long-term climate pattern may mean for everyday living.
Spring
Spring is a good time to see how wetter conditions affect drainage, yards, commuting and the usability of outdoor spaces.
Summer
Summer heat is a meaningful part of daily life. During a trial stay, pay attention to afternoon comfort, cooling use, vehicle heat and how much outdoor activity shifts toward mornings and evenings.
Fall
Fall can be one of the best seasons for comparing neighborhoods because daily routines are active while temperatures transition away from summer conditions.
Winter
Winter lows are relatively mild and measurable snowfall is minimal, so winter living is more likely to revolve around cool or wet conditions than snow removal and prolonged freezes.
Source: NOAA/NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020. Seasonal descriptions are relocation context derived from the available long-term normals, not a forecast.
Lake Charles is located in Calcasieu Parish County, but city-level housing, income and neighborhood conditions can differ meaningfully from countywide averages. Calcasieu Parish. Current county foreclosure activity is classified as medium, adding another housing-market signal for buyers comparing conventional and distressed-property opportunities.
County Intelligence
Lake Charles & Calcasieu Parish
Medium
Foreclosure Activity
Lake Charles is located in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana.
NarrowTheList uses county-level information alongside local community data because many factors that matter when choosing a place to live are measured beyond city boundaries. Housing, property taxes, employment, healthcare access and other regional characteristics can add useful context to the picture of life in Lake Charles.
Current NarrowTheList data for Lake Charles shows a population of about 81,143. These local figures become more useful when read together with county-level tax, housing, foreclosure and demographic conditions rather than treated as isolated city statistics.
Foreclosure Activity: Medium. Current signal uses NarrowTheList foreclosure-opportunity data until direct county delinquency and foreclosure datasets are connected.
For someone comparing homes, county boundaries can matter because taxes, public services, court and recording systems, assessment practices and housing-market conditions are often administered or reported at the county level. NarrowTheList keeps that county relationship attached to the community so future tax, foreclosure, housing and demographic data can be interpreted in the correct geographic context.
County relationship
Calcasieu Parish
How NarrowTheList uses it
County information is used as a supporting geographic layer, not as a substitute for local data. As more county datasets are added, NarrowTheList can use them to improve comparisons, ratings and relocation insights for Lake Charles.
Nearby Cities & Communities
Nearby incorporated cities, towns, villages and other municipalities shown by straight-line distance.