Lake Charles, Louisiana Population 2024

73,353

Lake Charles is a city located in Calcasieu Parish Louisiana. Lake Charles has a 2024 population of 73,353. It is also the county seat of Calcasieu Parish. Lake Charles is currently declining at a rate of -3.78% annually and its population has decreased by -13.57% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 84,873 in 2020.

The average household income in Lake Charles is $84,976 with a poverty rate of 22.57%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Lake Charles is 35.7 years, 34.6 years for males, and 37.2 years for females.

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: 45.8%
  • White: 45.37%
  • Two or more races: 5.16%
  • Asian: 2.56%
  • Other race: 0.87%
  • Native American: 0.25%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander:
Land Area (mi²)
44.9 sq mi
Density (mi²)
1,634.10/sq mi
Growth Since 2020
-13.57% (-11,520)
The current population of Lake Charles, Louisiana is 73,353 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 84,873.

Lake Charles, Louisiana Population 2024

Population by Race

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Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
Black or African American37,75445.8%
White37,39645.37%
Two or more races4,2555.16%
Asian2,1072.56%
Other race7150.87%
Native American2030.25%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Black or African American

White

Two or more races

Asian

Other race

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Lake Charles Population by Race

Lake Charles Population Pyramid 2024

Lake Charles Median Age

35.7

Total

34.6

Male

37.2

Female

Lake Charles Adults

There are 63,969 adults, (13,524 of whom are seniors) in Lake Charles.

Lake Charles Age Dependency

63.4

Age Dependency Ratio

26.8

Old Age Dependency Ratio

36.6

Child Dependency Ratio

Lake Charles Sex Ratio

Female42,00750.96%
Male40,42349.04%

Lake Charles Population by Age

Lake Charles Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All32,1872.4857.642.4
Non Family13,5621.2846.253.8
Married12,2483.1577.922.1
Female5,2853.741.258.8
Male1,0923.9651.248.8

3.29

Average Family Size

2.48

Average Household Size

57.6%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Lake Charles Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Lake Charles Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Lake Charles Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among native american people with a rate of 97.9%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 61.15%.

Lake Charles Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$41,092

Average Earnings

$51,889

Average Male

$28,847

Average Female

Lake Charles Earnings by Educational Attainment

Lake Charles Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Lake Charles Language

93.73% of Lake Charles residents speak only English, while 6.27% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Other Indo-European, which is spoken by 2.78% of the population.

Lake Charles Language

Lake Charles Poverty by Race

rate

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Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
Black36,75612,33033.55%
White35,5113,98811.23%
Multiple3,99974318.58%
Asian2,07958928.33%
Hispanic2,91649717.04%
Other67014321.34%
Native2037436.45%

22.57%

Overall Poverty Rate

20.92%

Male Poverty Rate

24.13%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Lake Charles

The race most likely to be in poverty in Lake Charles is Native, with 36.45% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Lake Charles is White, with 11.23% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 5.34%. Among those working part-time, it was 22.26%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 31.94%.

Lake Charles Poverty

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade38.09%
High School23.55%
Some College13.67%
Bachelors or Greater7.91%

Lake Charles Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Female Unemployed63.63%
Male Unemployed35.25%
Female Employed12.72%
Male Employed6.53%

Lake Charles Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Lake Charles Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Lake Charles Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

40.3%

Overall Marriage Rate

44.2%

Male Marriage Rate

36.7%

Female Marriage Rate

Lake Charles Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Lake Charles Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is 55-64, while the female age group most likely to be married is 55-64.

Lake Charles Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Lake Charles Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

5,704

Number of Veterans

5,158

Male Veterans

546

Female Veterans

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Lake Charles Veterans by War

count

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Lake Charles Veterans by Age

count

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Lake Charles Veterans by Race

Lake Charles Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

17.44%

Veteran Poverty Rate

38.25%

Veteran Disability Rate

Lake Charles Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

59.1%

Labor Force Participation

55.6%

Employment Rate

5.7%

Unemployment Rate

Lake Charles Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Lake Charles Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Lake Charles Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

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

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

78.66%

Born in Lake Charles

95.74%

Native Born

4.26%

Foreign Born

2.8%

Non Citizen

1.46%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

95.74% of Lake Charles residents were born in the United States, with 78.66% having been born in Louisiana. 2.8% 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

Note: data after 2022 is projected based on recent change

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Year
Population
Growth
Growth Rate
202958,953-2,880-4.66%
202861,833-2,880-4.45%
202764,713-2,880-4.26%
202667,593-2,880-4.09%
202570,473-2,880-3.93%
202473,353-2,880-3.78%
202376,233-2,880-3.64%
202279,113-1,408-1.75%
202180,521-4,352-5.13%
202084,8736,3638.1%
201978,5102250.29%
201878,2857270.94%
201777,5581,0961.43%
201676,4628121.07%
201575,6501,1701.57%
201474,4806220.84%
201373,8582220.3%
201273,6367881.08%
201172,8483420.47%
201072,506
200071,7571,1771.67%
199070,580-4,646-6.18%
198075,226-2,772-3.55%
197077,99814,60623.04%
196063,39222,12053.6%
195041,27220,06594.61%
194021,2075,41634.3%
193015,7912,70320.65%
192013,0881,63914.32%
191011,4494,76971.39%
19006,6803,23894.07%
18903,442-55,511-94.16%
showing: 32 rows

Lake Charles Population by Year