Lake Charles, LA
Full City Profile · Louisiana · Calcasieu Parish County
3.0
/5.0
B
Good
81,679
Population
1,721/sq mi density
$56,864
Median Income
$35,847 per capita
$204,000
Home Value
$206,515 Zillow
$1,090
Median Rent
33.8% income on rent
70°F
Avg Temperature
617
Violent Crime/100K
2,485 property/100K
B
Overall
3.0 / 5.0
Good overall score based on economy, affordability, safety and education
B
Economy
3.1 / 5.0
$56,864 median income, 5.5% unemployment
A+
Affordability
4.7 / 5.0
$204,000 home value, $1,090/mo rent
F
Safety
1.0 / 5.0
617 violent crimes/100K (62% above avg)
B
Education
3.4 / 5.0
29.4% bachelor's degree or higher
Change Over Time (2013, 2023)
Population Change
+8.2%
73,858 → 79,937
over 10 years
Annual Pop. Growth
+0.79%
Compound annual growth rate
Median Income Change
+58%
$35,981 → $56,864
nominal, not inflation-adjusted
Annual Income Growth
+4.68%
Compound annual growth rate
Population Over Time
Total population for Lake Charles across each available Census ACS release.
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income reported by U.S. Census ACS. Values are nominal (not adjusted for inflation).
Projected 2030
Simple projections extrapolating the 2013, 2023 compound annual growth rate forward. These are mathematical extensions of recent trends, not forecasts, real outcomes depend on migration, policy and economic shifts.
Projected Population 2030
84,464
+4,527 from 2023 (79,937)
Projected Median Income 2030
$78,322
+$21,458 from 2023 ($56,864)
Year-by-Year Detail
| Year | Population | YoY % | Median Income | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 73,858 | - | $35,981 | - |
| 2015 | 75,650 | +2.4% | $36,751 | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 77,558 | +2.5% | $40,910 | +11.3% |
| 2019 | 78,510 | +1.2% | $42,942 | +5% |
| 2021 | 81,097 | +3.3% | $49,913 | +16.2% |
| 2023 | 79,937 | -1.4% | $56,864 | +13.9% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 5-Year Estimates (Data Commons). Home value and rent are not yet available historically.