Lake Charles, LA Demographics

A map of Lake Charles's Population by Race

Lake Charles, Louisiana has an estimated population of 81,143, a decrease from the 84,872 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 45.3% White, 42.4% Black, 5.7% Hispanic, 3.3% Multiracial, 2.7% Asian, and 0.6% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Lake Charles, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Lake Charles is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is more diverse than Louisiana overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Lake Charles, that probability was 61.3% in 2020 and 61.0% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Lake Charles is ranked the 6th most populous place in Louisiana, out of 489 places. This ranking is based on the Census definition of a place, which includes incorporated places like cities, towns, and villages, as well as unincorporated census-designated places (CDPs). Lake Charles was ranked the 6th most populous place in the 2020 Census.

Lake Charles's White Population

36,759 residents of Lake Charles, or 45.3% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Lake Charles is considerably lower than in Louisiana overall, where 55.7% of the population is White. Lake Charles ranks 367th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 489 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Lake Charles's White population has grown by an estimated 4.6%. White residents' share of Lake Charles's population has increased from 41.4% to 45.3%.

Lake Charles is less White than neighboring Prien (79.7% White), Westlake (79.8% White), Moss Bluff (83.2% White), Sulphur (84.5% White), and Carlyss (72.3% White).

Lake Charles's Black Population

34,381 residents of Lake Charles, or 42.4% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Lake Charles is considerably higher than in Louisiana overall, where 30.5% of the population is Black. Lake Charles ranks 132nd statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 489 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Lake Charles's Black population has declined by an estimated 11.7%. Black residents' share of Lake Charles's population has decreased from 45.9% to 42.4%.

Lake Charles is more Black than neighboring Prien (10% Black), Westlake (9.4% Black), Moss Bluff (11.2% Black), Sulphur (6% Black), and Carlyss (5.6% Black).

Lake Charles's Asian Population

2,163 residents of Lake Charles, or 2.7% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Lake Charles is comparable to the share in Louisiana overall, where 1.7% of the population is Asian. Lake Charles ranks 49th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 489 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Lake Charles's Asian population has declined by an estimated 3.0%. Asian residents' share of Lake Charles's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.7%.

Lake Charles is more Asian than neighboring Prien (0.4% Asian), Moss Bluff (0.8% Asian), Sulphur (1.5% Asian), and Carlyss (0% Asian). Lake Charles is less Asian than neighboring Westlake (3.7% Asian).

Lake Charles's Hispanic Population

4,639 residents of Lake Charles, or 5.7% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Lake Charles is comparable to the share in Louisiana overall, where 7.2% of the population is Hispanic. Lake Charles ranks 122nd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 489 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Lake Charles's Hispanic population has declined by an estimated 2.8%. Hispanic residents' share of Lake Charles's population has remained roughly unchanged at 5.7%.

Lake Charles is more Hispanic than neighboring Westlake (2.9% Hispanic), Moss Bluff (1.8% Hispanic), Sulphur (3.2% Hispanic), and Carlyss (5% Hispanic). Lake Charles is less Hispanic than neighboring Prien (6.4% Hispanic).

Lake Charles's Native American/Other Population

496 residents of Lake Charles, or 0.6% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Lake Charles is comparable to the share in Louisiana overall, where 1% of the population is Native American/Other. Lake Charles ranks 148th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 489 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Lake Charles's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 40.3%. Native American/Other residents' share of Lake Charles's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.6%.

Lake Charles is more Native American/Other than neighboring Prien (0.1% Native American/Other), and Moss Bluff (0.4% Native American/Other). Lake Charles is less Native American/Other than neighboring Westlake (0.7% Native American/Other), Sulphur (2% Native American/Other), and Carlyss (7.8% Native American/Other).

Lake Charles's Multiracial Population

2,705 residents of Lake Charles, or 3.3% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Lake Charles is comparable to the share in Louisiana overall, where 3.8% of the population is Multiracial. Lake Charles ranks 227th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 489 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Lake Charles's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 8.4%. Multiracial residents' share of Lake Charles's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.3%.

Lake Charles is more Multiracial than neighboring Moss Bluff (2.6% Multiracial), and Sulphur (2.8% Multiracial). Lake Charles is less Multiracial than neighboring Westlake (3.5% Multiracial), and Carlyss (9.2% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.