City safety & data profile

Lake CharlesLA

Lake Charles, LA is a 76K-resident city in Calcasieu Parish with a median household income of $59,235.

Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Lake Charles, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Lake Charles has a population larger than 89% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $214,300, and 5 hospitals serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

76K
Population
Top 11%
By size
$59,235
Median income
$214,300
Median home
23.3%
Poverty rate

The read on Lake Charles

Lake Charles posts a median household income higher than 21% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 5 hospitals serve the Lake Charles area.

Top 79%
by median income, US cities
5
hospitals in & near Lake Charles

Where Lake Charles income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$59,235 Bottom 21% higher than 21% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. LA $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Lake Charles, LA beyond the headline numbers

Lake Charles sits inside Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, at roughly 30.21°N, -93.20°W. Population 76,070, $59,235 median household income. Median home value $214,300, median rent $1,109. Poverty rate 23.3%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Lake Charles's highest-prevalence health measure is obesity at 45.6%, then high blood pressure at 44.5%. 5 hospitals in/around Lake Charles, 3/5 avg rating, 2 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Lake Charles from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
76,070
Lake Charles
Median Income
$59,235
-13% vs avg
Median Home Value
$214,300
-6% vs avg
Median Age
36.6
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Calcasieu Parish) - Lake Charles's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
207K+7%
Median Income
$67,564+55%
Median Home Value
$217,000+83%
Poverty Rate
17.4%+0%
Unemployment
5.4%-41%

Economics

Economics indicators for Lake Charles, LA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,109/mo
Poverty Rate
23.3% +64% vs avg
Unemployment 6.6%
Bachelor's Degree+ 29.1%
Work From Home 5%
Public Transit 0.1%

Population

White 46.1%
African American 42.4%
Asian 2.7%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.1%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Obesity
45.6%
High Blood Pressure
44.5%
Short Sleep Duration
41.8%
Physical Inactivity
36%
Frequent Mental Distress
19.7%
Current Smoking
18%
Diabetes
16.2%
Binge Drinking
15.6%
Frequent Physical Distress
15.3%
Current Asthma
10.8%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 54.3%
Annual Checkup 82%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
9.6%
Coronary Heart Disease
7.3%
Stroke
4.7%

Hospitals 5 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
2
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
3/5
Total Hospitals
5
With ER
2
CHRISTUS OCHSNER ST PATRICK HOSPITAL
LAKE CHARLES · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★☆☆
LAKE CHARLES MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
LAKE CHARLES · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Lake Charles, LA? ▼
Lake Charles, LA has a population of 76,070 people, located in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana.
What is the median household income in Lake Charles? ▼
The median household income in Lake Charles, LA is $59,235 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 23.3%.
What is the median home value in Lake Charles? ▼
The median home value in Lake Charles, LA is $214,300. Median rent is $1,109/month.
What are the top health concerns in Lake Charles? ▼
The top health indicators in Lake Charles include Obesity (45.6%), High Blood Pressure (44.5%), Short Sleep Duration (41.8%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Lake Charles? ▼
Lake Charles has 5 hospitals with an average rating of 3/5 stars. 2 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Lake Charles? ▼
The median age in Lake Charles, LA is 36.6 years. 29.1% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Lake Charles, LA is located in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. With a population of 76K and a $59,235 median household income, the community faces health challenges including obesity and high blood pressure. Residents have access to 5 hospitals with an average rating of 3/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Lake Charles area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Louisiana

Real-time AQI for every monitored Louisiana location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Moss Bluff, LA 12K Sulphur, LA 20K Orange, TX 19K Jennings, LA 10K DeRidder, LA 11K Groves, TX 16K Port Neches, TX 13K Port Arthur, TX 55K
All cities in Louisiana → Compare Lake Charles vs Moss Bluff → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Lake Charles's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Lake Charles area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Lake Charles against Louisiana peers on any ranking lens. Explore Louisiana

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Calcasieu Parish) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.