Map the Block › Places › Louisiana › Lake Charles
What are the crime rate and median income in Lake Charles, LA?
FBI figures for 2025 show 6.6 violent crimes per 1,000 people in Lake Charles, 29% higher than the rate across Louisiana (5.2). The median household income is $59,235 and the median home value is $214,300. About 81,143 people live in Lake Charles.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income by neighborhood · home values · schools
What is the crime rate in Lake Charles?
Lake Charles's violent-crime rate for 2025 was 6.6 per 1,000 residents, based on 533 offenses reported to the FBI. For comparison, that is 29% higher than the Louisiana rate (5.2) and about 2.0 times the national rate (3.3). The department recorded 14 murders. Burglaries, thefts and car thefts added up to 1,930 (24.0 per 1,000 residents). Compared with 2021, when 449 were reported, the count is up 19%.
| Offense (2025) | Lake Charles count | Per 1,000 | Louisiana per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 533 | 6.6 | 5.2 | 3.3 |
| Murder | 14 | 0.17 | 0.09 | 0.04 |
| Rape | 34 | 0.42 | 0.33 | 0.36 |
| Robbery | 56 | 0.70 | 0.30 | 0.49 |
| Aggravated assault | 429 | 5.3 | 4.4 | 2.4 |
| Property crime | 1,930 | 24.0 | 19.7 | 15.3 |
| Burglary | 398 | 5.0 | 3.3 | 1.9 |
| Larceny-theft | 1,396 | 17.4 | 14.6 | 11.4 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 136 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 2.0 |
How has crime in Lake Charles changed since 2021?
| Year | Violent crimes | Property crimes | Murders |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 449 | 2,184 | 9 |
| 2022 | 485 | 2,406 | 14 |
| 2023 | 488 | 2,249 | 10 |
| 2024 | 481 | 1,938 | 13 |
| 2025 | 533 | 1,930 | 14 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. City figures are the Lake Charles Police Department's own reports.
How does Lake Charles compare with Louisiana?
Lake Charles's median household earns $59,235 a year, close to the state figure ($60,756). The median owner-occupied home is worth $214,300 by owners' estimates, and half of renters pay more than $1,109 a month. About 81,143 people live on 47 square miles of land, roughly 1,709 per square mile. The city lies in Calcasieu Parish.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Lake Charles | Louisiana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 81,143 | 4,611,961 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $59,235 | $60,756 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $214,300 | $216,500 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,109 | $1,064 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 6.6% | 6.3% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 23.3% | 18.9% | 12.5% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 29.1% | 27.0% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 60.9% | 67.4% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 36.6 | 38.0 | 38.9 |
What environmental sites and hazards are in Lake Charles?
EPA lists 1 active Superfund site (final or proposed) in Lake Charles: Gulf State Utilities-North Ryan Street. A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Calcasieu Parish has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively High”. Of the seven hazards on our map, FEMA rates these highest: hurricanes (Very High), tornadoes (Relatively High), river flooding (Relatively High) and coastal flooding (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Is there road construction in Lake Charles?
Lake Charles city limits had 3 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (all active that day). Listed roads include US 90 BUS, I-10 and LA 1262. 1 is on interstates. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in or near Lake Charles?
Federal school lists place 25 public and 5 private schools within Lake Charles. 7 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes are in the city. Within about 15 miles: 1 state park or recreation area: Sam Houston Jones State Park.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Lake Charles
Gun shops
9 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map inside the Lake Charles city limits, plus 7 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). 5 of them are pawnshops licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: Academy Sports + Outdoors #237 (Lake Charles), Big A Jewelry Pawn Shop #2 (Lake Charles), Bowie Outfitters (Lake Charles), Brame Brothers LLC (Lake Charles), Cash America Pawn Of Lake Charles (Lake Charles), Cc's Pawn Superstore (Lake Charles), Chad's Pawnshop (Lake Charles), Chads Pawn Shop (Lake Charles) and 1 more.
Liquor stores
8 liquor stores are on the map inside the Lake Charles city limits: Exclusive LA Inventory (Lake Charles), Hokus Pokus Liquor, Kirkman Street Discount LLC (Lake Charles), Lake Street Liquor (Lake Charles), Liquor Lab, Sunshine Liquor (Lake Charles), Sunshine Liquor Plus (Lake Charles) and The Wine Store (Lake Charles). Louisiana has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center inside the Lake Charles city limits on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Lake Charles?
In 2025, Lake Charles had 6.6 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (533 reported), 29% higher than the Louisiana rate (5.2). The property-crime rate was 24.0 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Lake Charles?
$59,235 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024), compared with $60,756 for Louisiana.
How much do homes cost in Lake Charles?
The median value of owner-occupied homes is $214,300 (Census ACS 2020-2024), against $216,500 statewide.
What natural hazards affect Lake Charles?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Calcasieu Parish has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively High”. Of the seven hazards on our map, FEMA rates these highest: hurricanes (Very High), tornadoes (Relatively High), river flooding (Relatively High) and coastal flooding (Relatively High).
Nearby cities
Port Arthur, TX (46 mi) · Beaumont, TX (56 mi) · Lafayette, LA (71 mi) · Baytown, TX (109 mi) · Texas City, TX (114 mi) · Atascocita, TX (120 mi)
More: Louisiana statewide numbers · county page: Calcasieu Parish · Sex-offender registry search (NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, agency counts 2021-2025 (Return A); state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables, for the Census place Lake Charles city.
- Land area: Census 2024 Gazetteer. Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores (county level).
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026).
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026).
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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