Lake Charles vs Tuscaloosa
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $214,300 in Lake Charles and $255,500 in Tuscaloosa.
- Households earn more in Lake Charles ($59,235 vs $51,464 median).
- Lake Charles has the warmer winter: January highs of 63°F vs 56°F.
- Tuscaloosa is growing faster: +13.2% since 2020 vs -2.7%.
Side by side
| Lake Charles, LA | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 82,676 | 114,316 |
| Growth since 2020 | -2.7% | +13.2% |
| People per square mile | 1,742 | 1,828 |
| Median age | 36.6 | 27.2 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29% | 39% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $59,235 | $51,464 |
| Median home value | $214,300 | $255,500 |
| Home value to income | 3.6× | 5.0× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,109 | $1,055 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 85.9 | 87.7 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 51.8 | 58.2 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $64,400 | $65,800 |
| Homeowners | 61% | 43% |
| Top state income tax | 3% | 5% |
| Combined sales tax | 10.13% | 9.46% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 17.0 | 19.6 |
| Work from home | 5% | 8% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6.6% | 7.7% |
| Poverty rate | 23.3% | 25.1% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 63° / 43° | 56° / 35° |
| July high / low | 92° / 76° | 92° / 71° |
| Precipitation per year | 60 in | 57 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 88 | 89 |
| Nights below freezing | 11 | 47 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 2 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 95.7 | 90.8 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 62% | 74% |
| Home prices, past year | +7.7% | -0.1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +17.6% | +32.7% |
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. Tuscaloosa: May and October.
Full monthly tables: Lake Charles weather by month and Tuscaloosa 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 $65,800 in Tuscaloosa. Moving from Lake Charles to Tuscaloosa, you would need about $76,600 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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