Markets/Louisiana/Lake Charles

Lake Charles, LA Real Estate Market 2026

Investor-grade market analytics for Lake Charles, Louisiana. Data from Zillow ZHVI, FRED, Census ACS, and FEMA NRI. Updated monthly.

Median Home Price

$190,109

+3.9% year-over-year

Est. Rental Yield

7.2%

gross annual

12-Month Forecast

-6.1%

base case (Zillow ZHVF)

-6.1% year-over-year

Market Momentum

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Neutral
5.7mo supply ยท Score 0/7

Migration: Top 16% nationally

Income Migration

๐Ÿ“‰ Wealth Drain0.80x

In-migrants avg $45,926 AGI vs out-migrants $57,688

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Opportunity Zone Market

2 ZIP codes in Lake Charles are designated Qualified Opportunity Zones (IRC 1400Z-2), eligible for capital gains tax deferral on qualifying investments. Learn more โ†’

Lake Charles Market Summary

Lake Charles, LA shows steady growth at 3.9% year-over-year appreciation, reflecting balanced market conditions with moderate demand. Affordability remains favorable with a price-to-income ratio of 2.84x, below the national average of 4.8x. Modest net positive migration (+283 returns/year) provides steady demand support. Climate risk is moderate (40/100) with manageable exposure. Rental yield of 7.19% is strong, making this market attractive for buy-and-hold investors.

Affordability

Affordability Score100/100
Price-to-Income Ratio2.8x (national avg 4.8x)
Median Household Income$67,010

Price Forecast Scenarios

12-month projection (Zillow ZHVF model)

Bear Case-9.2%
Base Case-6.1%
Bull Case-3.1%

Climate & Natural Hazard Risk

Lake Charles, LA's primary climate exposure is hurricanes (70/100). The composite climate risk score of 40/100 (Moderate) indicates overall risk with manageable exposure that should be factored into investment analysis. This market benefits from relatively low natural hazard exposure compared to coastal and wildfire-prone regions.

Source: FEMA National Risk Index

Get the full Lake Charles dataset

Migration flows, ZIP-level neighborhood data, full demographics, price history, and the Market Screener.