Best Places to Live in Lake Charles, Louisiana

Small industrial city - Southwest Louisiana, 30 miles west of Texas border. April, October and November are the most pleasant months in Lake Charles, while August and July are the least comfortable months.

Lake Charles, LA Housing Market

Lowest Priced Homes	HOMES UNDER $250,000
Most Expensive Listings	HOMES $250,001 to $500,000
Largest Homes	HOMES $500,001 to $750,000
Median Priced Homes	HOMES $750,001 to $1,000,000

Pros
Cost of living
Recent job growth
Entertainment

Cons
Hurricane dislocation
Low educational attainment
Hot, humid summers

What Bert Has To Say About Lake Charles Metro Area

Lake Charles is a deepwater port and center for the lumber and petrochemical industries, and suffered considerable damage in the 2005 Hurricane Rita. Prior to the storm, the city had a mostly industrial small-town feel with some historic areas, including the Victorian-era Charpentier District and a nice boardwalk area. Some casinos had arrived on the waterfront, including the large L’Auberge du Lac resort and casino.

Highlights

ECONOMY

The unemployment rate in Lake Charles is 8.7% (U.S. avg. is 6.0%). Recent job growth is Positive. Lake Charles jobs have increased by 3.3%. More Economy

COST OF LIVING

Compared to the rest of the country, Lake Charles's cost of living is 16.6% lower than the U.S. average. More Cost of Living or Compare Lake Charles's Cost of Living

WEATHER & CLIMATE

#WeatherDataText# Today's Weather | Climate Averages

VOTING

In the last Presidential election, Calcasieu parish remained overwhelmingly Republican, 66.6% to 31.4%. More Voting Stats

POPULATION

Lake Charles's population is 78,433 people. Since 2020, it has had a population growth of 5.6%. Learn More...

TRANSPORTATION

Average Commute time is 16.7 minutes. The National Average is 26.4 minutes. Learn More...

REAL ESTATE

The median home cost in Lake Charles is Real Estate: $181,800. Home appreciation the last 10 years has been 6.2%.

SCHOOLS

Lake Charles public schools spend $10,638 per student. The average school expenditure in the U.S. is $12,383. There are about 13.8 students per teacher in Lake Charles. More Education

Best Places to Live in Lake Charles Rankings

#16	America's Most (and Least) Stressful Cities (117 Smallest Metro Areas)
#109	America's Best and Worst Cities for Crime (Smallest Metro Areas)
#248	2005 Best Places to Live
#379	Best Green Cities

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Housing Market in Lake Charles

It's a good time to buy in Lake Charles. Home Appreciation is up 2.0% in the last 12 months.
The median home price in Lake Charles is $181,800.

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Reviews for Lake Charles 33 Reviews

Very tense atmosphere - 6/16/2021
Lake Charles, Louisiana is one of the absolute creepiest cities in the USA. The people feel dead inside. They also seem to secretly hate each other. It is also an... Read More

Jeremy | Moss Bluff, LA | Reply | No Replies

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clannish (feels like a cult) - 11/24/2020
Beware reader, the city of Lake Charles is an absolute sh*thole. If you are traveling through I-10 you might want to skip this place. This place is the very worst of the... Read More

Marshall L. | | Reply | No Replies

Don't bother with it - 7/25/2020
Don't waste your time here. Lake Charles is absolutely one of the worst cities in the United States in my opinion. I grew up here in the 1990s. It took me some time... Read More

Bill | Edina, MO | Reply | No Replies

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COMPARE COST OF LIVING

Compare Lake Charles, Louisiana to any other place in the USA.

MAPS OF LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA

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ZIP CODES IN LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA

70605 70601 70607 70615

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United States / Louisiana / Lake Charles Metro Area / Calcasieu County / Lake Charles / Zip Codes