How many people live in the Lake Charles, LA area?
Updated Mar. 4, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024 there were 243,000 people in the Lake Charles, LA area. That makes the Lake Charles, LA metropolitan statistical area the 199th populous metro area in the US. It is home to 0.07% of the nation's population.
243K
population of Lake Charles, LA area (2024)
0.07%
Lake Charles, LA area share of US population (2024)
Between 2010 and 2024, the population of the Lake Charles, LA area increased from 200,200 to 243,000—a 21.3% increase. During that same period, the US population grew 9.9%.
About 243,000 people lived in the Lake Charles, LA area in 2024.
Population estimates of the Lake Charles, LA Metro Area, 2010–2024
What are the age demographics of the Lake Charles, LA area?
About 17.3% of the Lake Charles, LA area's population in 2024 was aged 65 years or older, lower than the 18% share in the nation overall. Children (under 18) account for 24.6% of the Lake Charles, LA area population, above the 21.6% population share of children nationwide.
A lower share of the Lake Charles, LA area population is 65 and older than the US overall.
Population share by age group in Lake Charles, LA Metro Area and the US overall (2024)
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of the Lake Charles, LA area?
Non-Hispanic Black or African American residents make up 23.1% of the Lake Charles, LA area population, higher than the national share of 12.6%. Non-Hispanic white residents make up 67.4% of the population, higher than the national share of 57.5%.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
A lower share of the Lake Charles, LA area population is Hispanic than the US overall.
Population share by race and ethnicity in Lake Charles, LA Metro Area and the US overall (2024)
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
