Lake Charles, LA

Census Place

2024 Population

81,143

US Senator

Bill Cassidy

Republican Party

US Senator

John Kennedy

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

36.6

1.1% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

23.3%

0.263% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$59,235

4.17% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$214,300

Population & Diversity

Lake Charles, LA is home to a population of 81.1k people, from which 96.4% are citizens.

As of 2024, 5.61% of Lake Charles, LA residents were born outside of the country (4.56k people).

In 2024, there were 1.07 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (36.8k people) in Lake Charles, LA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 34.4k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 2.16k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.4%

2024 Citizenship

96.9%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.4% of Lake Charles, LA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Lake Charles, LA was 96.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Lake Charles, LA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Lake Charles, LA

White (Non-Hispanic)
36.8k ± 1.83k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
34.4k ± 2.04k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
2.16k ± 344

5.72%

Hispanic Population

4.64k people

5.72% of the people in Lake Charles, LA are hispanic (4.64k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Lake Charles, LA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Louisiana.

Most Common Origin

Honduras
48,818 ± 5,396 people
Mexico
27,788 ± 4,080 people
Vietnam
17,351 ± 3,228 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Louisiana was Honduras, the natal country of 48,818 Louisiana residents, followed by Mexico with 27,788 and Vietnam with 17,351.

Foreign-Born Population

5.61%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

4.56k people

4.68%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

3.82k people

As of 2024, 5.61% of Lake Charles, LA residents (4.56k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Lake Charles, LA was 4.68%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Lake Charles, LA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
1,500 ± 413
Vietnam
1,157 ± 255
Gulf War (1990s)
791 ± 289

Lake Charles, LA has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.3 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Lake Charles, LA.

Economy

The economy of Lake Charles, LA employs 37.3k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Lake Charles, LA were Health Care & Social Assistance (6,816 people), Retail Trade (5,001 people), and Educational Services (3,732 people), and the highest paying industries were Manufacturing ($98,719), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($90,438), and Utilities ($74,177).

Employment

Occupations

37.3k

2024 Value

± 2,052

1.42%

1 Year growth

± 7.58%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lake Charles, LA grew at a rate of 1.42%, from 36.8k employees to 37.3k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Lake Charles, LA, are Sales & Related Occupations (4,350 people), Management Occupations (3,576 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (3,433 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Lake Charles, LA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Louisiana.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Louisiana (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

37.3k

2024 Value

± 2,052

1.42%

1 Year growth

± 7.58%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lake Charles, LA grew at a rate of 1.42%, from 36.8k employees to 37.3k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Lake Charles, LA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (6,816 people), Retail Trade (5,001 people), and Educational Services (3,732 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Lake Charles, LA, though some of these residents may live in Lake Charles, LA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$47,489

Median earning men ± $5,120

$30,960

Median earning women ± $1,949

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Manufacturing ($101,944), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($75,272), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($73,873).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($93,065), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($61,136), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($58,835).

Education

The student population of Lake Charles, LA in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 4,018 male students and 5,813 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Lake Charles, LA are White (2,621 and 74%), Black or African American (531 and 15%), Hispanic or Latino (199 and 5.62%), and Two or More Races (105 and 2.97%).

The largest universities in Lake Charles, LA by number of degrees awarded are SOWELA Technical Community College (2,326 and 64%), McNeese State University (1,244 and 34.2%), and Stage One-The Hair School (34 and 0.935%).

The most popular majors in Lake Charles, LA are Instrumentation Technology (373 and 10.3%), General Studies (317 and 8.72%), and Electrician (309 and 8.5%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $5,147 for in-state students and $6,647 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Lake Charles, LA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 78.3%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 38.2%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 9,831 (40.9% men and 59.1% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 9,831 students enrolled in Lake Charles, LA, 40.9% men and 59.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 6,242 records, of which 57% were women and 43% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
149 degrees awarded
General Studies
121 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
84 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Lake Charles, LA was Registered Nursing with 149 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Lake Charles, LA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

SOWELA Technical Community College
2,326 degrees awarded
McNeese State University
1,244 degrees awarded
Stage One-The Hair School
34 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was SOWELA Technical Community College with 2,326 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 1,943 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Lake Charles, LA, which is 1.15 times more than the 1,692 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 2,621 degrees mean that there were 4.94 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 531 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($5,147) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($3,342) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($1,300) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Lake Charles, LA was $214,300 in 2024, which is 0.644 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $204,000 to $214,300, a 5.05% increase. The homeownership rate in Lake Charles, LA is 60.9%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Lake Charles, LA have an average commute time of 17 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Lake Charles, LA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$214,300

Median Property Value 2024

±$12,654

$19,532

Median Property Taxes

±$1,292

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Lake Charles, LA the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Lake Charles, LA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

60.9%

Homeownership

2024

68.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 60.9% of the housing units in Lake Charles, LA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 61.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Lake Charles, LA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$59,235

Median Household Income

± $3,575

32.1k

Number of Households

± 1,778

In 2024, the median household income of the 32.1k households in Lake Charles, LA grew to $59,235 from the previous year's value of $56,864.

The following chart displays the households in Lake Charles, LA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $60k - $75k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Lake Charles, LA is from Louisiana.

0.464

2024 Wage GINI in Louisiana

0.465

2023 Wage GINI in Louisiana

In 2024, the income inequality in Louisiana was 0.464 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.265% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Louisiana was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Louisiana in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Louisiana across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (80.2%)
Carpooled (10.7%)
Worked At Home (4.96%)

In 2024, 80.2% of workers in Lake Charles, LA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.7%) and those who worked at home (4.96%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

17 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Lake Charles, LA have a shorter commute time (17 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.16% of the workforce in Lake Charles, LA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Lake Charles, LA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Lake Charles, LA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Lake Charles, LA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

23.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Lake Charles, LA (18.4k out of 79.1k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Lake Charles, LA is Black, followed by White and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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