METRO AREA
Lake Charles Metro
Lake Charles, LA · 3 counties · 244,655 residents (2025 est.) · 3,000 sq mi
Time machine
VIEWING
COMPARE TO
The short version
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
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
Section 01
Population & growth
244,027
+8%since 2000
from 225,003 in 2000
244,655 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
3,000 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024244K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.7%(16,250)
5 to 96.1%(14,885)
10 to 147.9%(19,230)
15 to 196.5%(15,792)
20 to 246%(14,601)
25 to 3413.4%(32,817)
35 to 4413.1%(32,035)
45 to 5411.3%(27,652)
55 to 6412.7%(30,937)
65 to 749.9%(24,194)
75 to 844.8%(11,602)
85 and over1.7%(4,032)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$66,385
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $34,255 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
44.7%
+18.9 ptssince 2009
from 25.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11.5%
Retail trade10.4%
Wholesale trade10.1%
Finance & insurance5.8%
Other services4.6%
Professional, scientific, technical4.5%
Public administration3.3%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.7%
Manufacturing2%
Transportation & warehousing1.7%
Education & health services1.3%
Arts, entertainment, food0.8%
Construction0.7%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$208,042
+69%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $67,501 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
3.1
+36%since 2009
from 2.3 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
57
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic74.7%(168,098)
Black22.1%(49,728)
Hispanic / Latino1.3%(2,990)
Asian0.6%(1,268)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic66.8%(162,931)
Black21.8%(53,078)
Hispanic / Latino4.9%(11,933)
Asian1.3%(3,094)
Other5.3%(12,991)
62
+22%since 2009
from 51 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
44
−12%since 2020
from 50 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican2.1%(5,017)
Central American0.8%(1,863)
Honduran0.5%(1,214)
Cuban0.5%(1,089)
Spaniard0.3%(828)
South American0.3%(719)
Puerto Rican0.3%(617)
Salvadoran0.2%(416)
Venezuelan0.2%(364)
Colombian0.1%(247)
Guatemalan0.1%(121)
Panamanian0.1%(105)
+ 4 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Pakistani0.3%(560)
Asian Indian0.2%(534)
Chinese0.2%(377)
Filipino0.2%(321)
Vietnamese0.1%(288)
Nepalese0.1%(229)
Cambodian0.1%(175)
Laotian0.1%(122)
Hmong0%(93)
Japanese0%(75)
Thai0%(65)
Korean0%(48)
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data
Ancestry
French12%(29,378)
English7.6%(18,658)
American7%(17,005)
German6.3%(15,279)
Irish6.3%(15,260)
French Canadian4.3%(10,587)
Italian2.3%(5,518)
Scottish1.1%(2,762)
Scotch-Irish0.8%(1,930)
West Indian0.4%(1,004)
Subsaharan African0.4%(946)
Swedish0.4%(888)
+ 35 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch0.4%(877)
Polish0.3%(677)
Arab0.2%(512)
Norwegian0.2%(498)
Czech0.2%(462)
British0.2%(410)
Lebanese0.2%(364)
Welsh0.1%(362)
Swiss0.1%(305)
Greek0.1%(262)
Jamaican0.1%(232)
Portuguese0.1%(225)
Romanian0.1%(201)
Canadian0.1%(197)
Iranian0.1%(155)
Ukrainian0.1%(140)
Nigerian0.1%(135)
Russian0.1%(122)
Palestinian0.1%(120)
Belgian0%(104)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(97)
Turkish0%(89)
Austrian0%(80)
Haitian0%(78)
Brazilian0%(74)
Danish0%(74)
Lithuanian0%(73)
Finnish0%(64)
Hungarian0%(62)
Armenian0%(41)
Guyanese0%(23)
Barbadian0%(23)
Syrian0%(22)
Slovak0%(17)
Moroccan0%(14)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
89.2%
+13.6 ptssince 2000
from 75.6% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
68.6%
+2.9 ptssince 2020
from 65.8% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
92.9%
+4.2 ptssince 2020
from 88.7% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married34%(31,960)
Married52.4%(49,317)
Widowed3.4%(3,237)
Divorced10.2%(9,553)
Women 15+
Never married28.6%(28,445)
Married48.6%(48,422)
Widowed9.9%(9,864)
Divorced12.9%(12,864)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
13.0%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 12.8% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
2.1%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 2.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
61.6%
−1.5 ptssince 2020
from 63.1% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
43.7%
+2.4 ptssince 2020
from 41.3% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
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)
Gulf War (1990s)21.6%(2,954)
Vietnam era28.8%(3,947)
Korean War3.6%(499)
World War II1.8%(244)
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
In this metro
Largest cities
What's inside
3 component counties
Drill deeper
Metros similar to Lake Charles
Champaign
Pop 239,979
Binghamton
Pop 243,189
Prescott Valley
Pop 252,552
Lynchburg
Pop 269,169
Places similar to Lake CharlesHead to head
Compare Lake Charles side by side
LAKE CHARLES VS
Champaign
Income$65,789−1%
Home value$204,317−2%
Population239,979−2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LAKE CHARLES VS
Binghamton
Income$64,592−3%
Home value$156,052−25%
Population243,189−1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LAKE CHARLES VS
Prescott Valley
Income$69,613+5%
Home value$425,200+104%
Population252,552+3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LAKE CHARLES VS
Lynchburg
Income$67,702+2%
Home value$243,239+17%
Population269,169+10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Lake Charles, LA?
Lake Charles, LA has about 244,027 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Lake Charles, LA?
The typical household in Lake Charles, LA earns about $66,385 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Lake Charles, LA expensive?
In Lake Charles, LA, the median home is worth about $208,042, and the typical rent is about $1,087 a month.
How educated are people in Lake Charles, LA?
About 23.4% of adults age 25 and over in Lake Charles, LA hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Lake Charles, LA?
About 16.8% of people in Lake Charles, LA live below the federal poverty line.
Has Lake Charles, LA grown since 1990?
Yes, Lake Charles, LA has grown since 1990. The population has added about 35,911 residents, a change of about 17 percent over that period.
Keep going
Explore from here
DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024