Lake Charles, LA

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Population

75,194

0.2% growth

Median Age

35


Median Household Income

$40,910

9.2% growth

Poverty Rate

22.9%


Number of Employees

34,546

1.38% growth

Median Property Value

$145,900

8.07% growth

About

Economy

Health

Diversity

Education

Housing & Living

About

In 2017, Lake Charles, LA had a population of 75.2k people with a median age of 35 and a median household income of $40,910. Between 2016 and 2017 the population of Lake Charles, LA grew from 75,044 to 75,194, a 0.2% increase and its median household income grew from $37,465 to $40,910, a 9.2% increase.

The population of Lake Charles, LA is 48.1% Black or African American Alone, 43.4% White Alone, and 3.51% Hispanic or Latino. 8.86% of the people in Lake Charles, LA speak a non-English language, and 98.2% are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Lake Charles, LA are SOWELA Technical Community College (2,804 degrees awarded in 2016), McNeese State University (1,539 degrees), and Unitech Training Academy-Lake Charles (137 degrees).

The median property value in Lake Charles, LA is $145,900, and the homeownership rate is 52.4%. Most people in Lake Charles, LA commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 16.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Lake Charles, LA is 2 cars per household.

Photo by Ka!zen

United StatesLouisianaCalcasieu Parish, LALake Charles, LAImperial Calcasieu Regional Planning & Development District 2 (South) PUMA, LA

Economy

The economy of Lake Charles, LA employs 34.5k people. The largest industries in Lake Charles, LA are Health Care & Social Assistance (6,270 people), Retail Trade (4,101 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (3,828 people), and the highest paying industries are Manufacturing ($60,868), Wholesale Trade ($54,792), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($49,412).

Median household income in Lake Charles, LA is $40,910. Males in Lake Charles, LA have an average income that is 1.55 times higher than the average income of females, which is $40,269. The income inequality in Lake Charles, LA (measured using the Gini index) is 0.466, which is lower than than the national average.

Wages

Median Household Income

$40,910

2017 value

± $1,636

9.2%

1 Year Growth

± 5.83%

Households in Lake Charles, LA have a median annual income of $40,910, which is less than the median annual income of $60,336 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $37,465 in 2016, which represents a 9.2% annual growth.

Look at the chart to see how the median household income in Lake Charles, LA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

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

$62,488

Average Male Salary

± $1,557

$40,269

Average Female Salary

± $1,025

In 2017, full-time male employees in Lake Charles, LA made 1.55 times more than female employees.

This chart shows the gender-based wage disparity in the 5 most common occupations in Lake Charles, LA by number of full-time employees.

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Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

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

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity

  1. Asian

    $54,337 ± $8,658

  2. White

    $51,901 ± $1,178

  3. American Indian

    $39,423 ± $9,186

In 2017 the highest paid race/ethnicity of Lake Charles, LA workers was Asian. These workers were paid 1.05 times more than White workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity.

This chart shows the race- and ethnicity-based wage disparities in the 5 most common occupations in Lake Charles, LA by number of full-time employees.

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Wage Distribution

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

0.466

2017 Wage GINI

0.465

2016 Wage GINI

In 2017, the income inequality in Louisiana was 0.466 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.313% growth from 2016 to 2017, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even.

The 2017 the GINI for Louisiana was lower than than the national average of 0.479. 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.

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Income by Location

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Highest Median Household Income (Total)

  1. Census Tract 19.01

  2. Census Tract 18.01

  3. Census Tract 19.04

In 2017, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Lake Charles, LA was Census Tract 19.01 with a value of $91,382, followed by Census Tract 18.01 and Census Tract 19.04, with respective values of $69,173 and $64,250.

The following map shows all of the places in Lake Charles, LA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

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Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 25 - 34

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

22.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Lake Charles, LA (16.6k out of 72.5k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 13.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males 18 - 24.

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.

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Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

  1. Black

    11,405 ± 793

  2. White

    3,997 ± 526

  3. Two Or More

    695 ± 285

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.

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Occupations

Employment by Occupations

34.5k

2017 Value

± 1,472

1.38%

1 Year growth

± 5.8%

From 2016 to 2017, employment in Lake Charles, LA grew at a rate of 1.38%, from 34.1k employees to 34.5k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Lake Charles, LA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (4,335 people), Sales & Related Occupations (3,802 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (3,475 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Lake Charles, LA.

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Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of Lake Charles, LA, by number of employees, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (4,335 people), Sales & Related Occupations (3,802 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (3,475 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other places, Lake Charles, LA has an unusually high number of residents working as Fire Fighting & Prevention, & Other Protective Service Workers Including Supervisors (1.87 times higher than expected), Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (1.72 times), and Health Technologists & Technicians (1.65 times).

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Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Lake Charles, LA, by median earnings, are Legal Occupations ($134,474), Architecture & Engineering Occupations ($92,150), and Computer, Engineering, & Science Occupations ($75,057).

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Industries

Employment by Industries

34.5k

2017 Value

± 1,472

1.38%

1 Year growth

± 5.8%

From 2016 to 2017, employment in Lake Charles, LA grew at a rate of 1.38%, from 34.1k employees to 34.5k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Lake Charles, LA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (6,270 people), Retail Trade (4,101 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (3,828 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.

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Most Common

The most common industries in Lake Charles, LA, by number of employees, are Health Care & Social Assistance (6,270 people), Retail Trade (4,101 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (3,828 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other places, Lake Charles, LA has an unusually high number of Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation (3.31 times higher than expected), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction (1.77 times), and Utilities (1.61 times) industries.

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Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Lake Charles, LA, by median earnings, are Manufacturing ($60,868), Wholesale Trade ($54,792), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($49,412).

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Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Louisiana to other states, or from other states to Louisiana.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

  1. Gasoline

    $81.6B

  2. Coal-n.e.c.

    $69.1B

  3. Basic chemicals

    $38B

In 2015, the top outbound Louisiana product (by dollars) was Gasoline with $81.6B, followed by Coal-n.e.c. with $69.1B and Basic chemicals and $38B.

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Louisiana products.

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Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Louisiana state.

$365B

2015 Value

$476B

Projected 2045 Value

30.3% growth

In 2015, total outbound Louisiana trade was $365B. This is expected to increase 30.3% to $476B by 2045.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Louisiana trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

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Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Louisiana to other states, or from other states to Louisiana.

Most Common Trade Partners

  1. Texas

    $38.9B

  2. Mississippi

    $36B

  3. Florida

    $14.4B

In 2015, the top outbound Louisiana domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Texas with $38.9B, followed by Mississippi with $36B and Florida and $14.4B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Louisiana shares with each state (excluding itself).

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Health

86.1% of the population of Lake Charles, LA has health coverage, with 37.9% on employee plans, 22.6% on Medicaid, 10.4% on Medicare, 14% on non-group plans, and 1.27% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in the place of Lake Charles, LA was $7,815 in 2014. This is a 4.38% increase from the previous year ($7,487).

Primary care physicians in Lake Charles, LA see 1527 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.04% decrease from the previous year (1543 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1881 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 422 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, Tensas Parish has the highest prevalence of diabetes (17.2%). Additionally, Assumption Parish has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (42%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

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

1527 to 1

Primary Care Physicians

Primary care physicians in Louisiana see an average of 1527 patients per year. This represents a 1.04% decrease from the previous year (1543 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Louisiana in comparison to neighboring states.

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Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

  1. West Virginia

    8.26% of the population affected

  2. Arkansas

    8.13% of the population affected

  3. New Hampshire

    7.98% of the population affected

In 2016, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adults with major depressive episode, with 8.26% of the population affected. The second highest is Arkansas (8.13%), followed by New Hampshire (7.98%).

The following map shows the percent of individuals with major depressive episode by state over multiple years.

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Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

  1. Mississippi

    19.2% of adults

  2. Texas

    17.9% of adults

  3. Louisiana

    17.6% of adults

In 2016, Mississippi had the highest prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost, at 19.2%. It is followed by Texas (17.9%) and Louisiana (17.6%).

The following map shows the prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost by state over multiple years.

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Health Care Spending

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

$7,815

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care 

$4,420

Per Enrollee Private Health Insurance Spending on Personal Health Care

$6,281

Per Enrollee Medicaid Spending on Personal Health Care

$11,811

Per Enrollee Medicare Spending on Personal Health Care

Between 2013 and 2014, all personal health care spending per capita in Louisiana (including private, Medicare, and Medicaid) grew 4.38%, from $7,487 to $7,815.

The following chart shows how this spending changed over time in comparison to Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance spending, per enrollee.

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Health Care Coverage

13.9%

Uninsured

37.9%

Employer Coverage

22.6%

Medicaid

10.4%

Medicare

14%

Non-Group

1.27%

Military or VA

Between 2016 and 2017, the percent of uninsured citizens in Lake Charles, LA declined by 13.9% from 16.1% to 13.9%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Lake Charles, LA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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Health Risks

Data available at the county level.

Most at risk counties

  1. Tensas Parish

    17.2% prevalence

  2. Washington Parish

    17% prevalence

  3. East Feliciana Parish

    15.6% prevalence

Tensas Parish has the highest prevalence of diabetes in Louisiana, at 17.2%.

The following map shows the prevalence of diabetes in Louisiana by county over multiple years.

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Diversity

Lake Charles, LA is home to a population of 75.2k people, from which 98.2% are citizens. As of 2017, 3.25% of Lake Charles, LA residents were born outside of the country.

The ethnic composition of the population of Lake Charles, LA is composed of 36.2k Black or African American Alone residents (48.1%), 32.7k White Alone residents (43.4%), 2.64k Hispanic or Latino residents (3.51%), 1.74k Two or More Races residents (2.32%), 1.49k Asian Alone residents (1.98%), 345 American Indian & Alaska Native Alone residents (0.459%), 128 Some Other Race Alone residents (0.17%), and 0 Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander Alone residents (0%).

The most common foreign languages spoken in Lake Charles, LA are French (Incl. Patois, Cajun) (1,974 speakers), Spanish or Spanish Creole (1,905 speakers), and Other Indic Languages (483 speakers).

Age

Age by Nativity

35

Median Native-Born Age

± 1

38

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 6.9

In 2017, the median age of all people in Lake Charles, LA was 35. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 35, were generally younger than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 38. But people in Lake Charles, LA are getting getting older. In 2016, the average age of all Lake Charles, LA residents was 34.

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Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

3.25%

2017 Foreign-Born Population

3.31%

2016 Foreign-Born Population

As of 2017, 3.25% of Lake Charles, LA residents were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.7%. In 2016, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Lake Charles, LA was 3.31%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

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Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

  1. Mexico

    31,305 ± 4,329 people

  2. Honduras

    26,985 ± 4,021 people

  3. Vietnam

    19,764 ± 3,444 people

In 2017, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Lake Charles, LA was Mexico, the natal country of 31,305 Lake Charles, LA residents, followed by Honduras with 26,985 and Vietnam with 19,764.

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Citizenship

98.2%

2017 Citizenship

98%

2016 Citizenship

As of 2017, 98.2% of Lake Charles, LA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.1%. In 2016, the percentage of US citizens in Lake Charles, LA was 98%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

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Race and Ethnicity

Most Common

  1. Black or African American Alone

    36.2k ± 936

  2. White Alone

    32.7k ± 962

  3. Hispanic or Latino

    2.64k ± 544

In 2017, there were 1.11 times more Black or African American Alone residents (36.2k people) in Lake Charles, LA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 32.7k White Alone and 2.64k Hispanic or Latino residents, the second and third most common racial or ethnic groups.

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

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Non-English Speakers

Most Common Languages

  1. French (Incl. Patois, Cajun)

    1,974 speakers (2.87%)

  2. Spanish or Spanish Creole

    1,905 speakers (2.77%)

  3. Other Indic Languages

    483 speakers (0.701%)

8.86% of Lake Charles, LA citizens are speakers of a non-English language, which is lower than the national average of 21.5%. In 2015, the most common non-English language spoken in Lake Charles, LA was French (Incl. Patois, Cajun). 2.87% of the overall population of Lake Charles, LA are native French (Incl. Patois, Cajun) speakers. 2.77% speak Spanish or Spanish Creole and 0.701% speak French (Incl. Patois, Cajun), the next two most common languages.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

  1. Vietnam

    1,544 ± 264

  2. Gulf War (2001-)

    833 ± 232

  3. Gulf War (1990s)

    724 ± 228

Lake Charles, LA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.85 times greater than any other conflict.

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Education

In 2016, universities in Lake Charles, LA awarded 4,660 degrees. The student population of Lake Charles, LA is skewed towards women, with 4,791 male students and 6,403 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Lake Charles, LA are White (3,295 and 72.2%), followed by Black or African American (923 and 20.2%), Unknown (98 and 2.15%), and Hispanic or Latino (88 and 1.93%).

The largest universities in Lake Charles, LA by number of degrees awarded are SOWELA Technical Community College (2,804 and 60.2%), McNeese State University (1,539 and 33%), and Unitech Training Academy-Lake Charles (137 and 2.94%).

The most popular majors in Lake Charles, LA are Other Industrial Production Technology (812 and 17.4%), Instrumentation Technology (538 and 11.5%), and Electrician (235 and 5.04%).

The median tuition costs in Lake Charles, LA are $N/A for private four year colleges, and $5,147 and $16,222 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

  1. Other Industrial Production Technology

    405 degrees awarded

  2. Instrumentation Technology

    280 degrees awarded

  3. Electrician

    136 degrees awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate recipients in Lake Charles, LA was Other Industrial Production Technology with 405 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate from schools in Lake Charles, LA according to their major.

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Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

  1. SOWELA Technical Community College

    2,804 degrees awarded

  2. McNeese State University

    1,539 degrees awarded

  3. Unitech Training Academy-Lake Charles

    137 degrees awarded

$5,147

Median In-State Public

$N/A

Median Private

In 2016, the Lake Charles, LA institution with the largest number of graduating students was SOWELA Technical Community College with 2,804 degrees awarded.

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Student Gender for Common Institutions

2,509

Degrees Awarded to Men

2,151

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2016, 2,509 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Lake Charles, LA, which is 1.17 times more than the 2,151 female students who received degrees in the same year.

This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 institutions in Lake Charles, LA by degrees awarded.

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Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

  1. White

    3,295 degrees awarded

  2. Black or African American

    923 degrees awarded

  3. Unknown

    98 degrees awarded

In 2016 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in Lake Charles, LA were to White students. These 3,295 degrees mean that there were 3.57 times more White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 923 degrees awarded.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Lake Charles, LA was $145,900 in 2017, which is 0.67 times smaller than the national average of $217,600. Between 2016 and 2017 the median property value increased from $135,000 to $145,900, a 8.07% increase. The homeownership rate in Lake Charles, LA is 52.4%, which is lower than the national average of 63.9%. People in Lake Charles, LA have an average commute time of 16.3 minutes, and they commute by Drove Alone. Car ownership in Lake Charles, LA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Income

Household Income

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

$40,910

Median Household Income

± $1,636

31.1k

Number of Households

± 1,205

In 2017, the median household income of the 31.1k households in Lake Charles, LA grew to $40,910 from the previous year's value of $37,465.

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 < $10k range.

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Housing

Property Value

$145,900

2017 Median

± $6,759

$135,000

2016 Median

± $7,289

In 2017, the median property value in Lake Charles, LA grew to to $145,900 from the previous year's value of $135,000.

The following charts display, first, the property values in Lake Charles, LA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies and, second, owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property value buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Lake Charles, LA the largest share of households have a property value in the $150k - $175k range.

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Property Taxes

< $800

Average Range

This chart shows the households in Lake Charles, LA 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.

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Rent vs Own

52.4%

2017 Homeownership

51.7%

2016 Homeownership

In 2017, 52.4% of the housing units in Lake Charles, LA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 51.7%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is lower than the national average of 63.9%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in Lake Charles, LA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Transportation

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, followed by 1 car.

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Commute Time

16.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Lake Charles, LA have a shorter commute time (16.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.1 minutes). Additionally, 1.67% 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.

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Commuter Transportation

Most Common Method of Travel

  1. Drove Alone

    83.6%

  2. Carpooled

    9.3%

  3. Walked

    2.53%

In 2017, the most common method of travel for workers in Lake Charles, LA was Drove Alone, followed by those who Carpooled and those who Walked.

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