Lake Charles vs Longview
The short version
- Lake Charles is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 4% lower than in the Longview area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $202,600 in Longview and $214,300 in Lake Charles.
- Households earn more in Longview ($63,340 vs $59,235 median).
- Lake Charles has the warmer winter: January highs of 63°F vs 57°F.
- Longview is growing faster: +1.8% since 2020 vs -2.7%.
- Commutes are shorter in Lake Charles (17 vs 21 minutes each way).
- Texas has no state income tax on wages; Louisiana's top rate is 3%.
Side by side
| Lake Charles, LA | Longview, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 82,676 | 83,236 |
| Growth since 2020 | -2.7% | +1.8% |
| People per square mile | 1,742 | 1,480 |
| Median age | 36.6 | 35.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29% | 24% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $59,235 | $63,340 |
| Median home value | $214,300 | $202,600 |
| Home value to income | 3.6× | 3.2× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,109 | $1,101 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 85.9 | 89.5 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 51.8 | 66.7 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $64,400 | $67,100 |
| Homeowners | 61% | 55% |
| Top state income tax | 3% | None |
| Combined sales tax | 10.13% | 8.2% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 17.0 | 20.7 |
| Work from home | 5% | 7% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6.6% | 3.1% |
| Poverty rate | 23.3% | 17.3% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 63° / 43° | 57° / 36° |
| July high / low | 92° / 76° | 93° / 72° |
| Precipitation per year | 60 in | 50 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 88 | 89 |
| Nights below freezing | 11 | 29 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 95.7 | 87.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 62% | 87% |
| Home prices, past year | +7.7% | +3.4% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +17.6% | +47.3% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Lake Charles: February to April and November. Longview: May and October to November.
Full monthly tables: Lake Charles weather by month and Longview weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $64,400 in Lake Charles and $67,100 in Longview. Moving from Lake Charles to Longview, you would need about $78,200 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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