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Lake Charles, Louisiana Population 2020

80,169

Lake Charles is a city located in Louisiana. With a 2020 population of 80,169, it is the 5th largest city in Louisiana (after New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Fairbanks, and Shreveport) and the 443rd largest city in the United States. Lake Charles is currently growing at a rate of 1.37% annually and its population has increased by 11.36% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 71,993 in 2010. Spanning over 48 miles, Lake Charles has a population density of 1,786 people per square mile.

The average household income in Lake Charles is $62,050 with a poverty rate of 23.30%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $803 per month, and the median house value is $149,700. The median age in Lake Charles is 35.2 years, 33.6 years for males, and 36.5 years for females. For every 100 females there are 92.6 males.

Lake Charles is a city located in the state of Louisiana. The city was founded in 1861 and has become a major center for culture, education, and industry within Louisiana.

Notes of Interest in Lake Charles

Population Growth in Lake Charles

The city grew significantly during the 20th century, reaching a peak population of almost 78,000 residents in 1970. However, this was followed by periods of decline and when population counts did go up, it was minor compared to previous years. However, recent estimates show that the population is up 6.7%. Continuing on this trajectory will bring the city of Lake Charles to its highest population count yet.

Lake Charles Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Lake Charles was:

  • Black or African American: 48.47%
  • White: 45.86%
  • Two or more races: 2.65%
  • Asian: 1.90%
  • Other race: 0.62%
  • Native American: 0.50%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.00%
State
Louisiana
Land Area
44.9 sq mi
Density
1,785.9/sq mi
2020 Growth Rate
1.37%
Growth Since 2010
11.36%
Rank in State
5th
Rank in Country
443rd
Metro Population
211,728
The current population of Lake Charles, Louisiana is 80,169, based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates. The US Census estimates the 2018 population at 78,001.The last official US Census in 2010 recorded the population at 71,993.

Lake Charles, Louisiana Population 2020

Year Total Population Growth Annual Growth Rate
2020211,7288240.39%
2019210,9048240.39%
2018210,0808240.39%
2017209,2561,8810.90%
2016207,3752,1231.02%
2015205,2521,9650.96%
2014203,2871,1020.54%
2013202,1851,0960.54%
2012201,0895800.29%
2011200,5095660.28%
2010199,9430.00%

Lake Charles Metro Area Population by Year

Population by Race

Race Population Percentage
Black or African American36,96948.47%
White34,97845.86%
Two or More Races2,0192.65%
Asian1,4511.90%
Some Other Race4710.62%
American Indian and Alaska Native3790.50%

Lake Charles Population by Race

Lake Charles Population Pyramid 2020

Lake Charles Median Age

35.2


Total

33.6


Male

36.5


Female

Lake Charles Adults

There are 58,714 adults, (11,842 of whom are seniors) in Lake Charles.

Lake Charles Age Dependency

62.7

Age Dependency Ratio

25.3

Old Age Dependency Ratio

37.4

Child Dependency Ratio

Lake Charles Sex Ratio

Female

39,606

51.93%

Male

36,661

48.07%

Lake Charles Population by Age

Lake Charles Households and Families

Lake Charles Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Lake Charles Household Types

Type Owner Renter
Married75.6%24.4%
All50.8%49.2%
Male40.2%59.8%
Non Family39.9%60.1%
Female37.1%62.9%

50.8%

Rate of Home Ownership

Lake Charles Households and Families

Type Count Average Size Owned
All32,0122.2950.8
Non Family14,2541.2239.9
Married10,2153.1275.6
Female5,9303.1837.1
Male1,6133.2440.2

3.06

Average Family Size

2.29

Average Household Size

5.7%

Unmarried (Opposite Sex)

0.1%

Unmarried (Same Sex)

Lake Charles Households by Type

Lake Charles Education

CSV JSON
Education Attained Count Percentage
Less Than 9th Grade2,5565.07%
9th to 12th Grade4,5088.94%
High School Graduate14,32428.41%
Some College12,15224.10%
Associates Degree3,1616.27%
Bachelors Degree8,67617.21%
Graduate Degree5,0399.99%

Lake Charles Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Lake Charles Educational Attainment by Race

CSV JSON
Name Total High School Bachelors
White24,14322,3028,990
Black22,66718,0933,596
Hispanic1,7951,344469
Asian910753372
Multiple Races679550211
Other Race35526728
Native American29425177

The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 92.37%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 40.88%.

Lake Charles Educational Attainment by Race

CSV JSON
Name Average Male Female
Overall$30,852$40,757$25,029
Less Than High School$17,472$21,824$14,992
High School Grad$24,040$29,568$19,601
Some College$29,534$41,357$23,914
Bachelors Degree$44,164$60,779$34,450
Graduate Degree$59,387$82,621$52,127

$30,852

Average Earnings

$40,757

Average Male

$25,029

Average Female

Lake Charles Earnings by Educational Attainment

Lake Charles Language

Lake Charles Language by Age

Lake Charles Language

91.95% of Lake Charles residents speak only English, while 8.05% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Other Indo-European, which is spoken by 3.92% of the population.

Lake Charles Language

Lake Charles Poverty

Lake Charles Poverty by Race

CSV JSON
Name Total In Poverty Poverty Rate
Black35,91911,79632.84%
White31,4343,78112.03%
Multiple1,95780040.88%
Hispanic2,70748818.03%
Asian1,40232523.18%
Native3799324.54%
Other435286.44%

23.30%

Overall Poverty Rate

20.28%

Male Poverty Rate

26.05%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Lake Charles

The race most likely to be in poverty in Lake Charles is Multiple, with 40.88% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Lake Charles is Other, with 6.44% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 7.48%. Among those working part-time, it was 25.67%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 28.62%.

Lake Charles Poverty

CSV JSON
Name Poverty
Less Than High School36.10%
High School20.62%
Some College13.05%
Bachelors or Greater5.13%

Lake Charles Poverty Rate by Education

CSV JSON
Name Poverty
Female Unemployed48.98%
Male Unemployed43.04%
Female Employed16.21%
Male Employed9.59%

Lake Charles Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Lake Charles Income

Lake Charles Income by Household Type

CSV JSON
Name Median Mean
Households$41,538$62,050
Families$52,659$76,021
Married Families$79,013$101,849
Non Families$26,551$42,428

Income by Household Type

Lake Charles Marital Status

Lake Charles Marital Status

Marriage Rates

35.5%

Overall Marriage Rate

37.3%

Male Marriage Rate

33.8%

Female Marriage Rate

Lake Charles Married by Age and Sex

Lake Charles Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.

Lake Charles Marital Status by Race

Lake Charles Marital Status

Lake Charles Veterans

5,063

Number of Veterans

4,713

Male Veterans

350

Female Veterans

CSV JSON
War Veterans
Vietnam1,680
First Gulf War1,103
Second Gulf War973
Korea336
World War II213

Lake Charles Veterans by War

CSV JSON
Name Veterans % of Total
White2,7939.58%
Black2,1317.94%
Hispanic753.73%
2 or More566.80%
Other307.73%
Asian272.33%
Indian268.84%

Lake Charles Veterans by Race

$Lake Charles Veterans by Education

10.15%

Veteran Poverty Rate

35.06%

Veteran Disability Rate

Lake Charles Veterans by Education

Lake Charles Employment Status

61.5%

Labor Force Participation

57.2%

Employment Rate

6.8%

Unemployment Rate

Lake Charles Employment by Age

Lake Charles Employment by Race

Lake Charles Employment by Education

Lake Charles Place of Birth

Origin of Non-Citizens

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

78.72%

Born in Louisiana

96.48%

Native Born

3.52%

Foreign Born

1.96%

Non Citizen

Place of Birth

96.48% of Lake Charles residents were born in the United States, with 78.72% having been born in Louisiana. 1.96% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.

Lake Charles Place of Birth

Year Population Growth Annual Growth Rate
202080,1691,0841.37%
201979,0851,0841.39%
201878,0016990.90%
201777,3021,0841.42%
201676,2187410.98%
201575,4771,1521.55%
201474,3256170.84%
201373,7082120.29%
201273,4967801.07%
201172,7163230.45%
201072,3936360.09%
200071,7571,1770.17%
199070,580-4,646-0.64%
198075,226-2,772-0.36%
197077,99814,6062.10%
196063,39222,1204.38%
195041,27220,0656.89%
194021,2075,4162.99%
193015,7912,7031.90%
192013,0881,6391.35%
191011,4494,7695.54%
19006,6803,2386.86%
18903,4420.00%

Lake Charles Population by Year