Signals
Lake Charles
Lafayette
Opportunity
55 · Bottom 47%
vs62 · Top 38%
Climate
76 · Top 26%
vs77 · Top 23%
Physical resilience
11 · Bottom 7%
vs25 · Bottom 21%
Housing affordability
83 · Top 46%
vs79 · Bottom 48%
Schools
45 · Bottom 41%
vs54 · Top 47%
Access
98 · Top 19%
vs98 · Top 19%
Economic stability
31 · Bottom 8%
vs43 · Bottom 21%
Measured values
| Metric | Lake Charles | Lafayette | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 81,143 | 121,715 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $59,235 | $61,915 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $35,860 | $40,517 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,709/sq mi | 2,166/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $214,300 | $257,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,109 | $1,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 60.9% | 53.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.9% | 0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.1% | 41.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 23.3% | 18.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 92°F | 92°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 43°F | 44°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 59.7" | 62.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 4 mi | 2 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.4 min | 21.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.6 | 36.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 30 | 30 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.47 | 18.17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 26.2% | 35.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 40.3% | 46.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 65.7% | 63.1% | 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
Lake Charles
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, tornado, inland flooding.
Lafayette
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, inland flooding.
Your best match
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Lake Charles
55
Your Score
51
Area Score
Lafayette
63
Your Score
—
Area Score
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Full profiles: Lake Charles, LA · Lafayette, LA · How this is calculated: methodology