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Living in Lake Charles

The city had 58 schools in 2026. Lake Charles, a city in the United States, had a population of 81,143 in July 2026. In July 2026, 57.4% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing. There were 516 physicians per 100,000 residents in 2026.

Which United States-wide rules apply when you move to Lake Charles?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in United StatesNational rates and thresholds that apply in Lake Charles.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Median gross rent was US$1,109 per month, while the median home value was US$214,300 in July 2026. Owner occupation was 60.9%, and the vacancy rate was 21.3% in July 2026.

What recurs every month4 published recurring costs, € per month
Lake Charles recurring monthly costs, € per month€435Private kindergarten€168Utilities, 85 m² flat€61Internet, 60 Mbps€13Fitness club€ / month

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly13.06 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Numbeo - Cost of Living in Lake Charles (Wayback Machine capture 20220320143815)23Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited60.95 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Numbeo - Cost of Living in Lake Charles (Wayback Machine capture 20220320143815)23Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly435.4 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Numbeo - Cost of Living in Lake Charles (Wayback Machine capture 20220320143815)23Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home168.4 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Numbeo - Cost of Living in Lake Charles (Wayback Machine capture 20220320143815)23Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
G02 Median Gross Rent Usd$1,109/month4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Households spending over 30% of income on rent57.36 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G02 Vacancy Rate Pct21.27 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Property crime per 100,000 residents3,692 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics8Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · agency service area
Median monthly rent974.8 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables21Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Safety City Property Crime Count1,930 offenses/year31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)9Official

Worked out from these numbers

How international is the population?

5.5% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 4,581 people of 82,676 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.

Uses a supplemental estimate, so treat it as indicative.

Work and income

Median household income was US$59,235 a year in July 2026.

Unemployment across cities in United StatesUnemployment in Lake Charles is 6.6%. Of 2,065 cities with data, 1,200 have unemployment of 0 to under 5%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in United States per band1200 cities: 0% to under 5%12000–5742 cities: 5% to under 10%7425–10Lake Charles 6.6%95 cities: 10% to under 15%9510–1525 cities: 15% to under 20%2515–202 cities: 20% to under 25%220–251 city: 25% to under 30%125–30

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
G03 Median Household Income Usd59,235 USD/year4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Broadband Cable Fiber Dsl Pct67.88 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Broadband Subscription Pct85.41 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Internet Without Subscription Pct2.84 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 No Internet Pct11.65 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Satellite Internet Pct6.9 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Median gross salary2,524 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)20Community estimate · Supplemental context
Median gross salary (regional)3,230 EUR/month31 Dec 2025www.bls.gov19Official
Unemployment rate6.64 %31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables21Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Lake Charles. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

American Job Centers — Public employment service

U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration

Job Search
Open official service
Open the United States service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Lake Charles. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
G07 High School Or Higher Share Pct90.54 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Schools58 schools30 Jun 2026NCES CCD public school count12Official
G07 School Enrollment Share Pct25.65 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
G06 Mental Health Provider Ratio12 ratio30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio11Official
Physicians per 100,000 residents516 per 100,000 people30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio11Official
G06 Preventable Hospitalization Rate2,761 per 100,000 people30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio11Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Lake Charles when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

Recorded crime across major citiesLake Charles highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Lake Charles highlighted5,457Philadelphia5,442Houston5,218San Antonio4,012Chicago4,010Dallas3,709Austin3,158Fort Worth3,125Phoenix3,083Lake Charles3,039New York2,212Los Angeles2,082San Diegorecorded incidents per 100k residents
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents3,083 offences per 100,000country median 1,58931 Dec 2024FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting10Official
Violent crime per 100,000 residents524.6 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics8Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · agency service area
Safety City Violent Crime Count533 offenses/year31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)9Official

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
G05 Commute17.05 minutes4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Bicycle Commute Share Pct0.29 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Transit Commute Share Pct0.08 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Walk Commute Share Pct2.4 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Nearest airportCWF3 Aug 2026OurAirports16Official
Distance to nearest airport6 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports16Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Lake Charles. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Adult Education and English Language Acquisition (AEFLA) — State Language Course

U.S. Department of Education

For adult learners, adult English-language learners.

EnglishIn Person, Online, Hybridvaries
Open official information

USCIS English and citizenship class finder — Civic Orientation

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

For immigrants, future citizens.

EnglishIn Person, Onlinevaries
Open official information
Open the full United States section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Lake Charles.

Climate and air quality

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Lake Charles average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C0°10°20°30°40°JFMAMJJASOND34°6°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Lake Charles average monthly precipitation, mm045901351801559993114144178162144129112110125JFMAMJJASONDmm
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Lake Charles annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5259.0PM2.5µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United StatesAnnual PM2.5 in Lake Charles is 9.0 µg/m³. Of 968 cities with data, 262 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in United States per band1 city: 1 µg/m³ to under 2 µg/m³11–22 cities: 2 µg/m³ to under 3 µg/m³22–331 cities: 3 µg/m³ to under 4 µg/m³313–451 cities: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³514–5135 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³1355–6262 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³2626–7252 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³2527–8124 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³1248–958 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³589–10Lake Charles 9.033 cities: 10 µg/m³ to under 11 µg/m³3310–114 cities: 11 µg/m³ to under 12 µg/m³411–124 cities: 12 µg/m³ to under 13 µg/m³412–135 cities: 13 µg/m³ to under 14 µg/m³513–143 cities: 14 µg/m³ to under 15 µg/m³314–153 cities: 15 µg/m³ to under 16 µg/m³315–16

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean9.02 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 202422Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Average daytime high by monthJan 17.22 · Feb 19.28 · Mar 22.83 · Apr 26.11 · May 29.67 · Jun 32.5 · Jul 33.44 · Aug 33.78 · Sep 31.89 · Oct 27.83 · Nov 22.33 · Dec 18.5 °C1991–2020NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USW00003937 (LAKE CHARLES)15Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan 6.33 · Feb 8.39 · Mar 11.72 · Apr 15.17 · May 19.61 · Jun 23.17 · Jul 24.22 · Aug 23.94 · Sep 21.5 · Oct 15.78 · Nov 10.33 · Dec 7.39 °C1991–2020NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USW00003937 (LAKE CHARLES)15Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan 11.8 · Feb 13.8 · Mar 17.3 · Apr 20.6 · May 24.6 · Jun 27.8 · Jul 28.8 · Aug 28.9 · Sep 26.7 · Oct 21.8 · Nov 16.3 · Dec 12.9 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI18Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 154.7 · Feb 99.31 · Mar 93.22 · Apr 114 · May 143.8 · Jun 177.8 · Jul 162.1 · Aug 143.8 · Sep 128.5 · Oct 111.8 · Nov 110 · Dec 125 mm1991–2020NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USC00165074 (LAKE CHARLES 2 N)14Official · nearest-station reading
G04 Air Quality Pm25 Max Ug M336.8 µg/m³1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean7Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
G04 Air Quality Pm25 Mean Annual Ug M310.87 µg/m³1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean7Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
G04 Air Quality Pm25 Monitor Count3 monitors1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean7Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
G11 Annual Precipitation Mm1,078 mm30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals13Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
G11 Max Temp C Jul29.84 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals13Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
Average annual temperature21.66 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals13Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
G11 Min Temp C Jan14.05 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals13Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation

Cities of a similar size in United States

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All United States cities
Hawthorne82,741 residentsRedmond82,506 residentsPasco82,848 residentsBoynton Beach82,396 residentsWestland82,333 residentsRedwood City82,178 residents

Population and city profile

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Lake Charles residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport94.5%Foreign residents 5.5%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Foreign-resident share3.61 %31 Dec 2020Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)5Official
Foreign residents4,581 people31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables21Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
G09 Ntd Service Area Population73,474 people4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Population density672.5 people/km²31 Dec 2025Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau6Official
Population82,676 people31 Dec 2025U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program17Official
Safety City Crime Covered Population80,280 people31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)9Official

Is Lake Charles a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker43%strong on work, weak on safety · range 33–53%
Skilled employee59%strong on work, weak on safety · range 49–69%
Student45%strong on education, weak on work · range 34–56%
Family40%strong on family, weak on cost · range 30–50%
Retirement41%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 29–53%
Foreign residents4,581 people31 Dec 2024Independent source · Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables
Population82,676 people31 Dec 2025Official source · U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program
Households spending over 30% of income on rent57.36 %4 Jul 2026Official source · ACS median gross rent
Median monthly rent974.8 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Independent source · Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables
Property crime per 100,000 residents3,692 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026Official source · FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics
Median gross salary2,524 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Community source · Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-09-11

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
G02 Median Home Value Usd214,300 USD4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Owner-occupied homes60.89 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G03 Labour61.47 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Residents born abroad5.65 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G05 Naturalized Citizen Share Pct2.03 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G05 Non Citizen Share Pct3.61 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G06 Flu Vaccination Coverage Pct53.72 %30 Jun 2026CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage3Official
G06 Mammography Screening Pct78.5 %30 Jun 2026CDC mammography screening rate4Official
G06 Uninsured Share Pct8.32 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G07 Bachelors Or Higher Share Pct29.13 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G08 Reporting Agency Count0 agencies1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics8Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · agency service area
G09 Households With Vehicle Available Pct89.51 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G09 Ntd Agency Count3 agencies4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Ntd Total Unlinked Passenger Trips 202299,230 trips4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Ntd Total Vehicles Operated Max Service 202224 vehicles4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Total Workers 16plus36,963 workers4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Work From Home Share Pct4.96 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Cellular Data Plan Pct78.93 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

What is the typical salary around Lake Charles?

The median gross salary is 3,230 EUR/month. Source: www.bls.gov.

What is the unemployment rate in Lake Charles?

The unemployment rate is 6.64 %. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.

Is the air quality good in Lake Charles?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 9.02 µg/m³. The WHO 2021 guideline is 5 µg/m³ and the EU limit value is 25 µg/m³, so this reading is above the WHO guideline but within the EU limit. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024.

How safe is Lake Charles?

Police recorded 3,083 offences per 100,000. This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting.

How many people live in Lake Charles?

The published population is 82,676 people. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program.

How many foreign residents live in Lake Charles?

4,581 people residents hold a foreign nationality. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.

Is Lake Charles a good place to live?

Lake Charles may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). Lake Charles, United States: rent, salary [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/lake-charles/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_lake-charles-united-states-rent-salary_3a044b71d431,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Lake Charles, United States: rent, salary},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/lake-charles/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Lake Charles, United States: rent, salary](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/lake-charles/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. ACS median gross rent api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
  2. ACS total population api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
  3. CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  4. CDC mammography screening rate data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  5. Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
  6. Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
  7. EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-01
  8. FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-07-01
  9. FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip) cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-09-05
  10. FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-08-04
Show 13 more sources
  1. HRSA mental health provider ratio data.hrsa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  2. NCES CCD public school count nces.ed.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  3. NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  4. NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USC00165074 (LAKE CHARLES 2 N) NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
  5. NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USW00003937 (LAKE CHARLES) NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
  6. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  7. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program www2.census.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  8. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  9. www.bls.gov bls.gov · checked 2026-08-27
  10. Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-09-11
  11. Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-26
  12. EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024 aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-26
  13. Numbeo - Cost of Living in Lake Charles (Wayback Machine capture 20220320143815) numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-31

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.