Lake Charles vs Shreveport
Lake Charles, Louisiana versus Shreveport, Louisiana: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Lake Charles edges out Shreveport on overall objective livability (51 vs 41 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Lake Charles | Shreveport |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $55k | $46k |
| Cost of Living | $47k | $42k |
| Home Value | $191k | $169k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $945 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.34% | 0.70% |
| Income Tax | 4.30% | 4.30% |
| Sales Tax | 9.56% | 9.56% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 8.64% | 10.03% |
| Unemployment | 5.7% | 9.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 53°F | 48°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 84°F | 84°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 65.1 in | 51.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.9 in |
| Sunny Days | 252 days | 208 days |
| Summer Humidity | 74°F | 71°F |
| Comfortable Days | 123 days | 88 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 92.7 | 43.3 |
| Air Quality | 46 AQI | 50 AQI |
| School Quality | 85.1 | 54.1 |
| Violent Crime | 1770/100k | 2444/100k |
| Property Crime | 3122/100k | 3790/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 82,430 | 186,183 |
| Median Age | 35.7 | 37.1 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.58 | 0.54 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.96 | 0.89 |
| Political Leaning | R+36 | Even |
| White (%) | 44.3% | 36.2% |
| Black (%) | 45.8% | 56.5% |
| Hispanic (%) | 3.9% | 2.9% |
| Asian (%) | 2.5% | 1.6% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.5% | 2.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 18 min | 19 min |
| Walkability | 9.7/20 | 7.4/20 |
| Airport Distance | 127 mi | 179 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 81.3% | 78.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 21.72 | 5.32 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Limited |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Lake Charles or Shreveport more affordable?
- Shreveport has the lower cost of living: its index is $42k, compared with Lake Charles's $47k and Shreveport's $42k. Median rent is $1k in Lake Charles versus $945 in Shreveport.
- Is Lake Charles or Shreveport safer?
- Lake Charles has the lower violent crime rate. Lake Charles reports 1770/100k and Shreveport reports 2444/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Lake Charles or Shreveport?
- The median home value is $191k in Lake Charles and $169k in Shreveport, so homes are more affordable in Shreveport.