Cost of Living
per year
per month
How Lake Charles's prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
How far does your salary go in Lake Charles?
Your $100,000 in Lake Charles has the same purchasing power as $131,544 in the average US city. You'd need $31,544 less here to maintain that standard of living.
Demographics and workforce data from the US Census ACS 5-Year.
bachelor's or higher
Climate, safety, and walkability indicators.
See a side-by-side breakdown of cost of living, housing, and salaries.
Popular comparisons
Sorted by affordability — most affordable first.
Within 10 points of Lake Charles's cost index of 76, sorted by closest match.
Wondering whether you should move to Lake Charles? It depends on what you're optimizing for, but the city has real arguments in its favor: the cost-of-living math actually works and walkable in a way most us cities aren't, plus 1 more things worth knowing. The data behind each is below.
By the numbers, Lake Charles is one of the more affordable US cities of its size. The composite index sits at 76, about 24% below the national average, with housing as the main driver of the discount. Median rent in town runs about $1,007/mo against a typical household income of $54,761, which is the kind of ratio that leaves room to save.
Lake Charles earns a Walk Score of 71/100 — above the US median, with denser neighborhoods scoring higher than the citywide aggregate suggests. A car is still useful for longer trips, but everyday life works on foot for a lot of residents.
The average one-way commute in Lake Charles is about 18 minutes — short by US standards (the national average is closer to 27). Over a year of working days, that's hundreds of hours that don't get spent in traffic, which is the kind of thing you notice in the weekend rather than the weekday.
Reasons are pulled from Lake Charles's actual data — Census ACS, BLS, BEA, NOAA, EPA AQS, FBI, and Walk Score. We don't list positives that aren't supported by the numbers, which is why different cities show different sections.
Now and then. Lake Charles's winters are cool rather than truly cold — about 43°F on average — so most of the precipitation falls as rain. A snowy morning happens a few times a season; sustained accumulation is rare.
Mild on the cold side. Lake Charles's winter average of about 43°F is the kind of weather where you want a jacket but the heating bill is manageable. Snow is rare, frost is occasional, and the lawn never really browns out.
Genuinely hot. Summer in Lake Charles averages about 92°F, and peak afternoons run well over a hundred. Outdoor plans move to mornings and evenings; AC is the most-used appliance in the house.
Lake Charles falls in roughly USDA Zone 9. The zone classification is based on average annual minimum temperatures, so it's the right lookup for whether perennials and trees will overwinter here. Note that this is approximate from our winter-temperature data — check the USDA map for the exact zone before betting an expensive plant on it.
Lake Charles sits roughly 20 feet (6 m) above sea level — basically at the waterline. Storm surge, king tides, and long-term sea-level rise are real considerations for any coastal property here.
Hurricane season covers June through November, with peak activity in late summer and early fall. For Lake Charles, the practical advice is: have a few days of water and supplies on hand from August onward, know your evacuation route, and don't wait for the news to tell you a storm is "probably nothing" — track the cone yourself.
Average for an American city. Lake Charles's reported crime rate of about 3,756 per 100,000 residents sits roughly in line with the US baseline of ~3,500. Like anywhere else, the citywide number masks real differences between neighborhoods — worth looking at specific areas before deciding.
No — your dollar actually goes further here. Lake Charles's composite cost-of-living index is 76, roughly 24% under the US average. Housing is usually the biggest driver of the discount.
Yes — Lake Charles is one of the more walkable US cities. A Walk Score of 71/100 means most daily errands can be done on foot in most neighborhoods. Many residents go car-free comfortably.
Roughly $53,214 a year would match the lifestyle of someone earning $70,000 in an average US city. That's a starting point, not a target — negotiate higher when you can. Median rent in Lake Charles runs about $1,007/mo — keeping housing under 30% of gross income points to a similar floor on what you'd want to earn.