City comparison
Kenner, LA is about 175 miles (275 km) from Lake Charles, LA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 225 miles, or about 3 h 45 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Kenner, LA to Lake Charles, LA takes about 21 min, covering roughly 175 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Lake Charles has a population of 82,430, vs 65,785 in Kenner — about 1.3× larger by population. By land area, Lake Charles covers about 47 sq mi vs 15 sq mi for Kenner.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Kenner | Lake Charles | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,085/mo | $1,007/mo | 7.7% higher in Kenner |
| Median home value | $229,000 | $191,200 | 19.8% higher in Kenner |
| Median household income | $60,557 | $54,761 | 10.6% higher in Kenner |
| Groceries index | 94.1 | 94.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 73.3 | 73.8 | ≈ equal (Lake Charles slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 96.1 | 96.1 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 95.6 | 95.6 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Kenner, you'd need $85,024 in Lake Charles to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Lake Charles, LA is about 15% cheaper overall than Kenner, LA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 58% higher in Kenner than in Lake Charles. If you earn $80,000 in Kenner, you'd need about $68,019 in Lake Charles to keep the same standard of living.