70526 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
70526
70615
Opportunity
42 · Bottom 24%
vs42 · Bottom 24%
Growth
39 · Bottom 32%
vs34 · Bottom 24%
Climate
77 · Top 24%
vs76 · Top 27%
Physical resilience
12 · Bottom 9%
vs11 · Bottom 7%
Housing affordability
84 · Top 45%
vs61 · Bottom 24%
Access
90 · Bottom 39%
vs98 · Top 21%
Economic stability
20 · Bottom 2%
vs19 · Bottom 2%
Measured values
| Metric | 70526 | 70615 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,566 | 12,980 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $37,747 | $40,047 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $26,410 | $22,352 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 131/sq mi | 283/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $157,800 | $140,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $607 | $1,099 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 55.4% | 61.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 5.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.1% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.7% | 14.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 37.7% | 28.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 20 | 245 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.8 | 3.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -13.0% | -48.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 92°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 44°F | 43°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 62.8" | 59.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 23 mi | 3 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.2 min | 24.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.8 | 38.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 1 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.86 | 14.30 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 85.1% | 53.6% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
70526
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, drought, inland flooding.
70615
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, tornado, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 70526 — Crowley, LA · 70615 — Lake Charles, LA · How this is calculated: methodology