Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety6#871/924
Economy44#522/925
Housing55#419/925
Health14#798/925
Healthcare67#301/923
Environment23#704/917
Education41#543/925
Infrastructure15#789/925
Community24#701/925
Leisure & amenities74#245/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Lake Charles, LA metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Pharmacies · high2.5 /10k
93/100Louisiana 2.7 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Cost of buying a home today · low24.4%
90/100Louisiana 29.5%United States 34.1%Aug 2026Zillow Research
Effective property tax rate · low0.47%
88/100Louisiana 0.55%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Job growth · high1.7%
87/100Louisiana -0.5%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Comfortable days · high31.3%
87/100Louisiana 29.3%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Distance to an Amtrak station · low10 mi
81/100Louisiana 30 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Property crime rate · high2,330 /100k
5/100Louisiana 1,966 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Violent crime rate · high590 /100k
5/100Louisiana 515 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Distance to an airport · high128 mi
7/100Louisiana 80 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Adult obesity · high42.7%
9/100Louisiana 42.3%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · high8.9 µg/m³
11/100Louisiana 8.9 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from countiesCovers part of the area: some reporting agencies or member counties have no figure
Depression · high28.3%
12/100Louisiana 27.2%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 38% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+38 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
High ozone daysImproving
1 days (2017) → 0 days (2022)
−98%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
75.2% (2015-2019) → 85.5% (2020-2024)
+10 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
New homes permittedWorsening
5.0 /1k (2021) → 2.5 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−49%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Drug overdose deathsImproving
44.3 /100k (2021) → 26.8 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−40%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Property crime rateImproving
3,647 /100k (2020) → 2,330 /100k (2025)
−36%5 yearsUS 1,929 /100k → 1,535 /100k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Lake Charles, LA metro area improved on 15 of 30 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 10 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved15

Restaurants+23%7.7 /10k → 9.4 /10k
Unemployment−5.5 points10.0% → 4.5%
Uninsured−2.2 points10.7% → 8.5%
Pharmacies+7.4%2.4 /10k → 2.5 /10k
Gyms+31%1.1 /10k → 1.4 /10k

Declined1

Firearm deaths+23%16.9 /100k → 20.8 /100k

All 30 measures

Change of every measure of Lake Charles, LA metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.9 /10k2020	4.5 /10k2025	+17%	Improved	68%
Average commute time	21.7 min2015-2019	22.8 min2020-2024	+1.2 min	Within the margin of error	27%
Bachelor's degree or higher	21.9%2015-2019	23.4%2020-2024	+1.5 points	Within the margin of error	23%
Broadband subscriptions	75.2%2015-2019	85.5%2020-2024	+10 points	Improved	65%
Child poverty rate	24.9%2015-2019	22.5%2020-2024	−2.4 points	Within the margin of error	51%
Distance to an airport	128 mi2020	128 mi2025	+0 mi	Little change	13%
Drug overdose deaths	29.1 /100k2020	26.8 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−7.9%	Improved	34%
Effective property tax rate	0.44%2015-2019	0.47%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	4%
Firearm deaths	16.9 /100k2020	20.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+23%	Declined	22%
Grocery stores	1.4 /10k2020	1.6 /10k2025	+9.7%	Improved	77%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.1 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	+31%	Improved	80%
High school diploma or higher	86.8%2015-2019	89.2%2020-2024	+2.5 points	Within the margin of error	70%
Home price to income ratio	3.0×2015-2019	3.1×2020-2024	+0.1×	Within the margin of error	92%
Homicide rate	9.0 /100k2020	7.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−12%	Improved	33%
Income adjusted for local prices	$50,2072019	$64,8722024	+29%	Improved	30%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4742015-2019	0.4772020-2024	+0.003	Within the margin of error	45%
Median household income	$51,1962015-2019	$66,7002020-2024	+30%	Improved	66%
New business applications	13.1 /1k2020	13.4 /1k2025	+2.3%	Little change	6%
Pharmacies	2.4 /10k2020	2.5 /10k2025	+7.4%	Improved	86%
Poverty rate	17.0%2015-2019	16.8%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	32%
Property crime rate	3,647 /100k2020	2,330 /100k2025	−36%	Improved	56%
Public libraries	1.0 /10k2019	1.0 /10k2024	−0.4%	Little change	61%
Rent as share of income	29.5%2015-2019	30.9%2020-2024	+1.4 points	Within the margin of error	29%
Rent-burdened households	49.0%2015-2019	51.6%2020-2024	+2.6 points	Within the margin of error	36%
Restaurants and bars	7.7 /10k2020	9.4 /10k2025	+23%	Improved	94%
Suicide rate	16.7 /100k2020	16.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−3%	Little change	67%
Traffic deaths	20.8 /100k2015-2019	19.6 /100k2020-2024	−5.5%	Improved	72%
Unemployment rate	10.0%2020	4.5%2025	−5.5 points	Improved	96%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	10.7%2015-2019	8.5%2020-2024	−2.2 points	Improved	88%
Violent crime rate	755 /100k2020	590 /100k2025	−22%	Improved	61%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Lake Charles, LA metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Lake Charles, LA metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Lake Charles, LA metro area itself moved +1.5 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

244,027 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 50–59 women (−1.0 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

244,027 residents

Lake Charles, LA metro area
United States share

White67%162,931
Black22%53,078
Hispanic or Latino4.9%11,933
Asian1.3%3,094
American Indian and Alaska Native0.2%†418
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%†50
Other or two or more races5.1%12,523

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Other or two or more races (+2.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

163,269 residents (±257)

Lake Charles, LA metro area
United States share

No high school diploma11%17,602
High school or GED36%58,453
Some college21%33,588
Associate degree9.4%15,361
Bachelor's degree15%25,044
Graduate degree8.1%13,221

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: No high school diploma (−2.5 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

92,043 households (±1,097)

Lake Charles, LA metro area
United States share

Under $25k20%18,257
$25k–50k19%17,272
$50k–75k17%15,396
$75k–100k12%11,200
$100k–150k16%14,472
$150k–200k8.3%7,652
$200k or more8.5%7,794

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−5.7 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

92,043 households (±1,097)

Lake Charles, LA metro area
United States share

Own74%67,963
Rent26%24,080

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+5.8 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

21,730 households (±1,496)

Lake Charles, LA metro area
United States share

Under $75020%4,337
$750–1,00022%4,783
$1,000–1,50044%9,478

Home values

67,963 homes (±1,548)

Lake Charles, LA metro area
United States share

Under $150k33%22,730
$150k–250k29%19,590
$250k–400k25%16,866

Age of homes

113,215 homes (±251)

Lake Charles, LA metro area
United States share

2010 or later21%23,626
2000–200916%17,860
1980–199922%25,085

Size of homes

113,215 homes (±251)

Lake Charles, LA metro area
United States share

Studio0.8%†860
1 bedroom6.3%7,144
2 bedrooms22%25,000

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

106,373 workers (±2,227)

Lake Charles, LA metro area
United States share

Drive alone82%86,761
Carpool9.9%10,503
Public transit0.2%†251
Walk1.5%1,563
Bike0.3%†266
Work from home5.3%5,677
Other1.3%1,352

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−4.3 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

100,696 workers (±2,314)

Lake Charles, LA metro area
United States share

Under 15 min34%33,923
15–29 min42%42,783
30–44 min14%13,908

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Lake Charles, LA employ 22,350 people. 10 pay a median below the US median.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Lake Charles, LA by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Cashiers2,840 jobs	2,840	$27,480US $32,880	−16%	1.4×
Retail Salespersons2,620 jobs	2,620	$28,780US $35,410	−19%	1.03×
Registered Nurses2,460 jobs	2,460	$90,690US $97,550	−7%	1.11×
Fast Food and Counter Workers2,350 jobs	2,350	$22,500US $31,200	−28%	0.93×
General and Operations Managers2,140 jobs	2,140	$101,370US $105,770	−4%	0.93×
Home Health and Personal Care Aides2,140 jobs	2,140	$23,000US $35,800	−36%	0.76×
Construction Laborers2,130 jobs	2,130	$45,240US $47,120	−4%	2.97×
Waiters and Waitresses1,950 jobs	1,950	$15,080US $35,230	−57%	1.31×
Food Preparation Workers1,940 jobs	1,940	$23,380US $35,320	−34%	3.32×
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers1,780 jobs	1,780	$56,290US $76,210	−26%	4.07×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Lake Charles, LA.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Lake Charles, LA has 5,463 employer establishments, 227 for every 10,000 residents (0.91× the US rate of 248), with 84,232 paid employees at an average annual pay of $57,469. The Census Bureau also counts 18,635 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 5,463; 18,635 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 227; US 248
Paid employees: 84,232
Average annual pay: $57,469; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Lake Charles, LA by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	457	19	0.91×About typical	5,752	$61,618	893
Restaurants and other eating places	380	15.8	0.86×About typical	7,033	$20,232	106
Specialty trade contractors	322	13.4	0.86×About typical	3,800	$56,725	1,317
Limited-service restaurants	190	7.9	0.98×About typical	3,626	$18,181	46
Lessors of real estate	183	7.6	0.62×Fewer than typical	568	$49,553	1,639
Gasoline stations	182	7.5	2.33×More than typical	1,344	$26,066	6
Religious organizations	178	7.4	1.33×More than typical	1,402	$21,956	—
Building equipment contractors	166	6.9	1.14×About typical	1,675	$63,471	223
Offices of physicians	149	6.2	0.95×About typical	1,749	$92,252	161
Legal services	145	6	1.12×About typical	836	$113,042	173
Offices of other health practitioners	141	5.8	0.96×About typical	1,522	$45,750	337
Architectural, engineering and related services	134	5.6	1.59×More than typical	2,494	$99,786	163

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 241,119 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $25.9M on contracts performed in Lake Charles, LA metro area: $106 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $25.9M; −85% vs FY2025
Per resident: $106; US $1,994
Sole-source: 62%; US 30%
Single offer: 23%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Defense Logistics Agency$15.6M60%
U.S. Coast Guard$10.4M40%
Agricultural Marketing Service$10.2M39%
Federal Aviation Administration$6.1M24%
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration$1.9M7.3%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$1.7M6.6%
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement$521.4K2.0%
Federal Acquisition Service$441.4K1.7%

Top recipients

ENVIRONMENTAL, SAFETY & HEALTH CONSULTING SERVICES, INC.$10.4M40%
FARMERS RICE MILLING CO LLC$10.2M39%
CALCA SOLUTIONS, LLC$5.4M21%
FREEMAN HOLDINGS OF LOUISIANA LLC$4.1M16%
AIRGAS USA, LLC$4M15%

Spending by fiscal year

30.9MFY2017
14.6MFY2018
97.5MFY2019
139.1MFY2020
150.2MFY2021
101MFY2022
108.5MFY2023
105.3M

Top industries (NAICS)

Remediation and other waste management services · 5629$10.4M40%
Grain and oilseed milling · 3112$10.2M39%
Basic chemical manufacturing · 3251$9.4M36%
Petroleum and coal products manufacturing · 3241$4.1M16%
Other specialty trade contractors · 2389$3.9M15%
Building finishing contractors · 2383

Largest awards

8511604929!MONTHLY MAINTENANCE FACILITY$50.7M
CALCA SOLUTIONS, LLC· Calcasieu Parish, LA· Fuel· Aug 27, 2025 – May 8, 2026· SPE60125FK01W
CR&P DREDGING MILE 17-36$18.5M
MUDDY WATER DREDGING LP· Cameron Parish, LA· Construction & real property· Sep 15, 2025 – Jan 13, 2026· W912P825C0024
CALCASIEU RIVER AND PASS, DREDGED MATERIAL MANAGEMENT PLAN (DMMP) CDF-H DEGRADING AND DIKE CONSTRUCTIONCAMERON PARISH, LA$9.8M
MAVERICK CONSTRUCTORS, LLC· Cameron Parish, LA· Construction & real property· Sep 3, 2025 – Jan 30, 2026· W912P825CA003
UCGPN26018 PROVIDE LABOR, EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS TO MITIGATE THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF OIL SPILL OR HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL INCIDENT AS DIRECTED BY THE FEDERAL ON SCENE COORDINATOR.

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1.4B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Lake Charles, LA metro area: $5,715 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $1.4B; −1% vs FY2025
Per resident: $5,715; US $12,955
Loan face value: $52.3M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.9%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$775.7M55%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$138.3M9.9%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$137.4M9.8%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$134.3M9.6%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$49.9M3.6%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$27M1.9%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$15.2M1.1%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$11.9M0.8%

Top recipients (organizations)

TRANSPORTATION & DEVELOPMENT LOUISIANA D$35.3M2.5%
BATON ROUGE, LA
MC NEESE STATE UNIVERSITY$16.7M1.2%
LAKE CHARLES, LA
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF LAKE CHARLES$13.8M1.0%
LAKE CHARLES, LA
SOWELA TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE$10.7M0.8%
LAKE CHARLES, LA
SWLA CENTER FOR HEALTH SERVICES

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$1.1B78%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$157M11%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$35.3M2.5%
Department of Transportation
Department of Education$28.3M2.0%
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$21.8M

Assistance by fiscal year

1.5BFY2021
1.2BFY2022
1.5BFY2023
1.5BFY2024
1.4BFY2025
1.4BFY2026

County aggregates

91%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Lake Charles, LA

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Lake CharlesPrincipal city81,143

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Louisiana

Areas based in Louisiana, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M29340

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved15

Declined1

Metro and micro areas like Lake Charles, LA metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Getting to work

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Lake Charles, LA

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Louisiana

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved15

Declined1

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Household income

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought