With 244,027 people, Lake Charles is a metro area. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 23% of adults. The foreign-born share is 3%. The typical home is worth $208,042, having roughly tripled since 2000. 74% of homes are owner-occupied. Density works out to 81 people per square mile.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $66,385, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 37.6
US median: 38.9
Less educated
23% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 69%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Lake Charles
What changed most since 1990
White share77.0% → 66.8%(−10.2 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Hispanic share1.1% → 4.9%(+3.7 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Adults with a bachelor's degree13.4% → 23.4%(+10.1 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Among the 18 metro and micro areas based in Louisiana
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)25.7%(3,520)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)21.6%(2,954)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era28.8%(3,947)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.6%(499)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.8%(244)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 13,704 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Lake Charles, decade by decade
Lake Charles population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
208,116
$56,493
$124,431
13.4%
44.9
2000
225,003
$62,400
$122,964
15.5%
49.1
2010
231,201
$63,454
$152,893
17.9%
54.6
2020
254,652
$62,626
$186,245
21.3%
63.8
2024
244,027
$66,385
$208,042
23.4%
62.1
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
