Lake Charles, LA housing market
The typical Lake Charles home is worth about $207,000, up 2.2% in a year, close to the Louisiana typical home. Homes typically sell in 56 days, below asking.
Home values, sales, trends and how Lake Charles compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Lake Charles at a glance
A balanced market
About 5.2 months of supply: neither buyers nor sellers have a clear edge.
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Lake Charles | Louisiana |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $203,000 | $185,000 |
| 2018 | $210,000 | $186,000 |
| 2019 | $216,000 | $188,000 |
| 2020 | $214,000 | $198,000 |
| 2021 | $219,000 | $208,000 |
| 2022 | $213,000 | $219,000 |
| 2023 | $215,000 | $221,000 |
| 2024 | $200,000 | $215,000 |
| 2025 | $194,000 | $215,000 |
| 2026 | $203,000 | $214,000 |
| August 2026 | $207,000 | $217,000 |
207 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 207 new homes in Lake Charles in 2025: 195 single-family houses and 12 in buildings with two or more homes, worth about $36.3 million to build. That's 2.6 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Louisiana (3.3). Over the past 10 years, Lake Charles has permitted 6,674 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Lake Charles gained 12,879 residents while 6,868 new homes were permitted: about 1.9 new residents per new home. Building and growth moved roughly in step. Across Louisiana: 0.9 new residents per new home.
How Lake Charles ranks on housing keeping up with growth →
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 179 | 159 | 20 | $29.3 million |
| 2025 | 207 | 195 | 12 | $36.3 million |
| 2024 | 972 | 440 | 532 | $183.2 million |
| 2023 | 665 | 217 | 448 | $138.9 million |
| 2022 | 524 | 264 | 260 | $81 million |
| 2021 | 365 | 337 | 28 | $52.3 million |
| 2020 | 528 | 396 | 132 | $69.7 million |
| 2019 | 723 | 441 | 282 | $99.5 million |
| 2018 | 651 | 341 | 310 | $86 million |
| 2017 | 1,052 | 397 | 655 | $144.8 million |
| 2016 | 987 | 358 | 629 | $116.1 million |
| 2015 | 492 | 256 | 236 | $72.9 million |
| 2014 | 826 | 145 | 681 | $81.5 million |
| 2013 | 633 | 207 | 426 | $57.3 million |
| 2012 | 234 | 209 | 25 | $33 million |
| 2011 | 808 | 262 | 546 | $82.6 million |
| 2010 | 462 | 358 | 104 | $51.6 million |
| 2009 | 604 | 225 | 379 | $46.2 million |
| 2008 | 327 | 230 | 97 | $39.2 million |
| 2007 | 699 | 216 | 483 | $70.9 million |
| 2006 | 357 | 291 | 66 | $50 million |
| 2005 | 299 | 245 | 54 | $40.6 million |
| 2004 | 320 | 202 | 118 | $33.7 million |
| 2003 | 475 | 201 | 274 | $41.4 million |
| 2002 | 185 | 129 | 56 | $20.8 million |
| 2001 | 327 | 150 | 177 | $37.8 million |
| 2000 | 168 | 130 | 38 | $23.3 million |
How Lake Charles ranks on new homes being built →
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Lake Charles and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Charles | $207K | +2.2% | $1,240 | 207 | $59,235 |
| Prien | — | +2.1%† | $1,520 | — | $87,292 |
| Moss Bluff | — | +0.8%† | $1,350 | — | $92,036 |
† FHFA price index change, where Zillow has no home value for the town.
3.5 years of income
The typical Lake Charles home costs about 3.5 years of the town's median household income, about the same as across Louisiana (3.6).
How Lake Charles ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,240
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Lake Charles is $1,240 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Lake Charles pay a median of $1,109, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 25% of the town's median household income.
Studio $940 · 4 bedrooms $1,640
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (70601, 70605, 70607, 70615; Lake Charles, LA HUD Metro FMR Area), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Recent listings in Lake Charles
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.