Lake Charles, LA

City in Calcasieu Parish, LA, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

81,143

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

36.6

years ∙ half population younger than 36.6, half older

Diversity Index

61%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

5.6%

foreign-born population

94.4%Native

5.6% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Lake Charles is a city within Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States.

Location

City in Calcasieu Parish, LA, US

Co-ordinates

DEC30.199020° N, 93.210835° W

DMS30° 11′ 56.47″ N, 93° 12′ 39.01″ W

Population Density & area

1,708/sq mi (660.2/km²)

Total Area

50.4 sq mi (130.3 km²)

Land Area

47.5 sq mi (122.9 km²) · 94.3%

Water Area

2.9 sq mi (7.4 km²) · 5.7%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

49.4% male

Male 49.4%

Female 50.6%

males per 100 females

Lake Charles 97.5

Calcasieu Parish 95.8

Louisiana 95.8

Nativity

5.6%

foreign-born population

94.4%Native

5.6% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Lake Charles 5.6%

Calcasieu Parish 3.6%

Louisiana 4.9%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

36.6

years ∙ half population younger than 36.6, half older

Lake Charles

36.6

Calcasieu Parish

37.4

Louisiana

Dependency ratio

63.4

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Lake Charles 63.4

Calcasieu Parish 69.6

Louisiana 67.3

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Lake Charles	Calcasieu Parish	Louisiana
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	21.9%	24.9%	23.5%
Working age (18-64)	61.2%	59%	59.8%
Senior (65+)	16.9%	16.1%	16.7%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	63.4	69.6	67.3
Child dependency ratio	35.8	42.3	39.3
Old-age dependency ratio	27.7	27.3	28

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

45.3%

Black

42.4%

Asian

2.7%

Hispanic

5.7%

Other

3.9%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

61%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Lake Charles 61%

Calcasieu Parish 52.2%

Louisiana 59%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Lake Charles population

Racial and ethnic composition — Lake Charles vs Calcasieu Parish vs Louisiana. Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates.
	Lake Charles	Calcasieu Parish	Louisiana
Hispanic or Latino	5.7%	5.4%	7.2%
Mexican	1.3%	2.3%	2.2%
Puerto Rican	0.4%	0.3%	0.4%
Cuban	0.7%	0.5%	0.3%
Other Hispanic / Latino	3.3%	2.3%	4.3%
Not Hispanic or Latino	94.3%	94.6%	92.8%
One race	91%	90.3%	89%
White	45.3%	64.7%	55.7%
Black or African American	42.4%	23.3%	30.5%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.2%	0.1%	0.4%
Asian	2.7%	1.5%	1.7%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.1%
Some Other Race	0.4%	0.7%	0.5%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	3.3%	4.3%	3.8%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

58.1% family

Family 58.1%

Non family 41.9%

% family households

Lake Charles 58.1%

Calcasieu Parish 64.6%

Louisiana 62.7%

Average household size

2.46

persons per household

Lake Charles

2.46

Calcasieu Parish

2.62

Louisiana

2.49

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Lake Charles population

	Lake Charles	Calcasieu Parish	Louisiana
Total households	32,077	77,957	1,804,780
Average houshold size	2.46	2.62	2.49
Family households	18,634	50,387	1,130,826
Average family size	3.24	3.31	3.16
Married couple family	12,537	36,567	754,231
Other families	6,097	13,820	376,595
Male householder	1,440	3,596	96,444
Female householder	4,657	10,224	280,151
Non-family households	13,443	27,570	673,954
One-person households	10,475	22,688	571,003
Male householder	4,710	10,647	260,218
Senior (65+) living alone	1,542	3,563	79,575
Female householder	5,765	12,041	310,785
Senior (65+) living alone	2,854	6,124	151,041
Other living arrangements	2,968	4,882	102,951

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

40,742

housing units

Lake Charles 40,742

Calcasieu Parish 95,523

Louisiana 2,108,902

Occupancy status

78.7% occupied

Occupied 78.7%

Vacant 21.3%

vacancy rate

Lake Charles 21.3%

Calcasieu Parish 18.4%

Louisiana 14.4%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

70.1%

Single family houses

70.1%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

27.2%

Mobile homes

2.6%

Boat, RV, van, etc

0.1%

Median Year Built

1980

Half of houses were built before 1980, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

4.6%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

30.1%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

32.2%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

33%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Lake Charles	Calcasieu Parish	Louisiana
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.4	5.6	5.5
1–3 rooms	16.1%	11.1%	11.6%
4–6 rooms	55.6%	57.2%	58.5%
7+ rooms	28.4%	31.8%	30%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.1%	0.7%	2%
1 bedroom	10.4%	6.7%	8.8%
2 bedrooms	27.4%	22.3%	22.9%
3 bedrooms	43.7%	51.8%	48%
4+ bedrooms	17.3%	18.5%	18.3%
At a glance
Median year built	1980	1990	1983
Total housing units	40,742	95,523	2,108,902

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

60.9% owners

Renter-occupied 39.1%

Owner-occupied 60.9%

homeownership rate

Lake Charles 60.9%

Calcasieu Parish 72.8%

Louisiana 67.4%

Average household size

2.5

Owner-occupied

2.4

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Lake Charles 2.5

Calcasieu Parish 2.66

Louisiana 2.57

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Lake Charles	Calcasieu Parish	Louisiana
Total occupied units	32,077	77,957	1,804,780
Year moved in
2020 or later	29.2%	25.1%	23.3%
2010 to 2019	37.8%	38.6%	38%
2000 to 2009	13.9%	16.3%	16.9%
1999 or earlier	19.1%	20%	21.8%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	98.3%	98%	97.7%
1.01 to 1.50	1.2%	1.5%	1.6%
1.51 or more	0.5%	0.5%	0.7%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	10.5%	7.2%	8.4%
1 vehicle	36.2%	34.6%	36.9%
2 vehicles	38.9%	38.9%	37.1%
3 or more vehicles	14.5%	19.3%	17.6%
House heating fuel used
Gas	38%	29.8%	34.1%
Electricity	61.5%	69.4%	64.7%
Solar	0%	0%	0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0%	0%	0.1%
All other fuels	0.2%	0.5%	0.5%
No fuel used	0.2%	0.3%	0.6%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.2%	0.2%	0.5%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.5%	0.4%	0.8%
No telephone service available	1.1%	1.2%	1%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$214,300

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Lake Charles

$214,300

Calcasieu Parish

$217,000

Louisiana

$216,500

Housing Cost Burden

25.6%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

25.6%

Owners without a mortgage

12.2%

Renters

57.4%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Lake Charles	Calcasieu Parish	Louisiana
Property value
Median Value	$214,300	$217,000	$216,500
Under $100,000	17.6%	19.7%	20.1%
$100,000 - $200,000	28.8%	25.2%	25.1%
$200,000 - $300,000	22%	26.5%	25.1%
$300,000 - $500,000	19.9%	21.6%	21%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	8.2%	5.5%	7.2%
$1,000,000 and more	3.7%	1.5%	1.5%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	54.1%	51.1%	52.2%
Without a mortgage	45.9%	48.9%	47.8%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,543	$1,596	$1,604
Without a mortgage	$445	$426	$442
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,109	$1,109	$1,064

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

29.1%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Lake Charles 29.1%

Calcasieu Parish 24.9%

Louisiana 27%

Adults without a high school diploma

9.5%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Lake Charles 9.5%

Calcasieu Parish 10.2%

Louisiana 12.7%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

20,074

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

5.3%

K–12

64.9%

College / Undergraduate

26.8%

Graduate / Professional

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

41.4%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Lake Charles

41.4%

Calcasieu Parish

36.5%

Louisiana

37.5%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Lake Charles	Calcasieu Parish	Louisiana
Total enrolled (age 3+)	20,074	52,461	1,127,670
Nursery / preschool	5.3%	7.2%	6.5%
K–12	64.9%	72.1%	69.6%
Kindergarten	3.5%	4.5%	5.3%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	17.8%	20%	20.9%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	23.6%	25.6%	21.8%
High School: Grades 9–12	20%	22%	21.6%
College or graduate school	29.8%	20.7%	23.9%
College, undergraduate	26.8%	16.9%	19.2%
Graduate, professional school	3%	3.8%	4.7%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	41.4%	36.5%	37.5%
School type
Public school	84.2%	83.1%	79.3%
Private school	15.8%	16.9%	20.7%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

54,137

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

3.7%

9th-12th, no diploma

5.8%

HS graduate

29.3%

Some college no degree

23.1%

Associates degree

9.1%

Bachelors degree

18.2%

Graduate or professional degree

10.9%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

55.4% · 44.6%

9th-12th, no diploma

58.9% · 41.1%

HS graduate

47.6% · 52.4%

Some college no degree

50.4% · 49.6%

Associates degree

44.9% · 55.1%

Bachelors degree

45.5% · 54.5%

Graduate or professional degree

43.1% · 56.9%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Lake Charles	Calcasieu Parish	Louisiana
Population (25+)	54,137	138,340	3,107,436
Less than 9th grade	3.7%	3.4%	4.5%
9th–12th, no diploma	5.8%	6.8%	8.2%
High school diploma or GED	29.3%	34.3%	32.5%
Some college, no degree	23.1%	21%	20.4%
Associate's degree	9.1%	9.7%	7.3%
Bachelor's degree or higher	29.1%	24.9%	27%
Bachelor's degree	18.2%	16.2%	17%
Graduate or professional	10.9%	8.6%	10.1%
High School or higher	90.5%	89.8%	87.3%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$41,667

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$31,043

HS graduate

$31,351

Some college or associates

$39,843

Bachelors degree

$53,390

Graduate or professional degree

$61,447

Poverty Rate

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

39.2%

HS graduate

25.2%

Some college or associates

16.2%

Bachelors degree or higher

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Lake Charles	Calcasieu Parish	Louisiana
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$41,667	$47,192	$46,510
Less than high school graduate	$31,043	$32,889	$29,714
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$31,351	$36,552	$36,782
Some college or associate's degree	$39,843	$47,144	$42,528
Bachelor's degree	$53,390	$56,904	$60,472
Graduate or professional degree	$61,447	$61,906	$70,058
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	39.2%	29.4%	32.5%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	25.2%	17.9%	19%
Some college or associate's degree	16.2%	12%	14.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher	8%	6.4%	5.9%

Insights for Lake Charles, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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