Lake Charles
Louisiana · Ranked #86 of 373 metros
87Affordable
💡
Housing in Lake Charles costs 3.32× the median income, below the national average of 4.5×. The median home price is $216K and median rent is $1,057/month. Lake Charles ranks #86 of 373 metros for affordability.
Median Home Price
🏠$216K
Need $64K income
Median Rent
🔑$1,057
Need $42K income
Building Permits
🔨1,457
annual
Median Income
💰$65K
Pop: 235,414
Rent Burden
⚠️25.2%
of renters paying >30%
Homeownership
🏡73.0%
Rent Burden
vs. National Average
Key Facts vs. National Average
| Metric | Lake Charles | National |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 3.32x | 6.1x |
| Rent Burden | 25.2% | 31.5% |
| Homeownership Rate | 73.0% | 65.5% |
| YoY Rent Change | 0% | +2.8% |
| Mortgage Denial Rate | 0.0% | 13.5% |
| Eviction Rate | 0.0% | 3.6% |
House Price Index (2000–2025)
FHFA All-Transactions HPI
Since 2019: +15.2%Since 2000: +124%
HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2026)
Section 8 voucher payment standards
Studio$921/mo
1 Bedroom$928/mo
2 Bedroom$1,217/mo
3 Bedroom$1,459/mo
4 Bedroom$1,611/mo
Zillow Market Data
Home Value (ZHVI)
$197K
1yr: +4.3%5yr: -10.0%
Rent (ZORI)
$1,155/mo
1yr: +10.1%5yr: +5.2%
Note: ZORI reflects current listing prices and may differ from the Census ACS median rent shown above, which captures what renters actually pay including below-market and subsidized units.
Redfin Market Activity
Median Sale Price
$194K
Active Inventory
30
Days on Market
55
Sold Above List
0.0%
Price Drops
16.7%