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Featured local agent — Lake Charles, LA
Sarah Mitchell
Compass Real Estate · Lake Charles, LA
“Your trusted relocation specialist since 2009. 350+ homes sold. Zero-pressure, data-first approach.”
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Lake Charles, LA Housing Market
The typical home in Lake Charles, LA is worth $206,515, rose 1.7% over the past year (Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026). The last median sale price Redfin published was $225,000, +6.2% year over year (through May 2026). With 5.2 months of supply and homes going under contract in about 56 days, Lake Charles is a buyer's market. At today's 7.03% 30-year fixed rate, 20% down on a $206,515 home is about $1,102/mo in principal and interest.
Key numbers for Lake Charles, LA
Typical home value
$206,515
+1.7% in 12 months
Zillow, August 2026
Typical asking rent
$1,375/mo
Zillow Observed Rent Index
Zillow, August 2026
Median sale price
$225,000
+6.2% year over year
Redfin, through May 2026
Days on market
56
Average pace
Redfin, through May 2026
Active listings
361
5.2 months of supply
Redfin, through May 2026
30-yr fixed rate
7.03%
Freddie Mac weekly average
Freddie Mac via FRED, September 2026
Median household income
$56,864
Home costs 3.6x income
U.S. Census ACS, 2023
Sale-to-list ratio
97.5%
Selling below asking
Redfin, through May 2026
Zillow figures are as of August 2026 and refresh monthly. Redfin figures are through May 2026 — Redfin stopped publishing its public market trackers in June 2026, so those numbers are final, not current. Mortgage rates come from Freddie Mac via FRED and update weekly.
Is Lake Charles a buyer's or seller's market?
Lake Charles, LA is a buyer's market, based on 5.2 months of supply and homes selling in about 56 days. Above 5 months of supply, homes start accumulating faster than they clear, which is where buyers gain leverage on price, repairs, and closing costs.
Inputs are Redfin's final published period (May 2026). How we classify markets · Where the data comes from
What does the Lake Charles housing market data show?
Every row below is Redfin's final published month for Lake Charles, LA. Redfin, through May 2026
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median sale price | $225,000 |
| Median list price | $243,000 |
| Year-over-year price change | +6.2% |
| Median price per sq ft | $128/sq ft |
| Median days on market | 56 days |
| Active inventory | 361 listings |
| Months of supply | 5.2 months |
| Sale-to-list price ratio | 97.5% |
| Homes sold (that month) | 69 |
| New listings (that month) | 110 |
| Listings with a price cut | 23.3% |
| Market condition | Buyer's market |
How to read these numbers
- Median sale price
- Half the homes that closed sold for more than this, half for less. It moves with what kind of home sold that month, so a quiet month with two big sales can swing it. Redfin's figure for Lake Charles is frozen at May 2026.
- Typical home value (ZHVI)
- Zillow's estimate of what a mid-market home in Lake Charles is worth right now, whether or not it sold. It is smoother than the median sale price and it still refreshes monthly, which is why this page leads with it.
- Months of supply
- How long it would take to sell every active listing at the current pace. Under 3 favors sellers, over 6 favors buyers, and 3 to 6 is the balanced band.
- Days on market
- Median time from listing to accepted offer. Short means you should have financing ready before you tour; long means there is room to negotiate on price and repairs.
- Sale-to-list ratio
- Sale price divided by the last asking price. Above 100% means bidding above asking is normal here; below 100% means the typical buyer got a discount.
- Price per square foot
- The size-adjusted price. Use it to compare a 1,400 sq ft house to a 2,600 sq ft house, not to value your own home — lot, condition and age move it a lot.
- Listings with a price cut
- Share of active listings that dropped their asking price in the month. A high share is the earliest visible sign that sellers are ahead of what buyers will pay.
- Typical asking rent (ZORI)
- Zillow's repeat-rent index for asking rents on new leases. Paired with the home value it gives the price-to-rent ratio in the rent-vs-buy section below.
How have Lake Charles home prices moved?
Over the last three years the median sale price in Lake Charles, LA rose 7.1%, from $210,000 to $225,000. The live Zillow value series has rose 1.7% in the last 12 months, which is the more current read now that Redfin's series has stopped. 23.3% of Lake Charles listings cut their asking price in the final Redfin month — a modest share, which is what a market looks like when sellers are pricing close to where homes actually clear. For prices to fall meaningfully from here, supply would have to keep building past 5.2 months while the sale-to-list ratio slips below its current 97.5%. Watch those two together — they move before the median does.
Redfin, through May 2026 — the chart ends at Redfin's final published month.
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What does it cost to buy a home in Lake Charles?
Priced off the typical home value of $206,515 at the current 7.03% 30-year fixed rate. These are principal and interest only — property taxes, homeowner's insurance, HOA dues and mortgage insurance are on top, and they vary enough by property that we will not guess them for you.
| Down payment | Cash at close | Loan amount | Monthly P&I |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20% | $41,303 | $165,212 | $1,102/mo |
| 5% | $10,326 | $196,190 | $1,309/mo |
Zillow, August 2026 for the price · Freddie Mac via FRED, September 2026 for the rate
What income do you need?
Lenders generally want housing costs under 28% of gross income. On the 20%-down payment of $1,102, that implies roughly $47,250 a year before you add taxes and insurance. The median household in Lake Charles earns $56,864, about $9,614 more than that threshold — the typical local household clears the payment on a typical local home with 20% down. That puts the price-to-income ratio at 3.6x — above the historical 3x norm but in line with much of the country in 2026.
Run it with your own numbers: affordability calculator · mortgage calculator
Buying in Lake Charles in the next 12 months?
Tell us your timeline. We send the Lake Charles market brief: the price ranges that actually clear, how long homes sit, and what to fix on your credit before you apply.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Lake Charles?
Typical asking rent in Lake Charles, LA is $1,375/mo, against a typical home value of $206,515. That is a price-to-rent ratio of 12.5x, which means buying tends to beat renting on monthly cost over a typical hold. Compared head to head, 20% down puts principal and interest at $1,102 a month — $273 less than renting before taxes and insurance, so ownership can win on monthly cost alone once you have the down payment.
Zillow, August 2026 for both value and rent
Add your own down payment, tax rate and time horizon in the rent vs. buy calculator.
Is inventory rising or falling in Lake Charles?
Active listings in Lake Charles, LA went from 485 in May 2025 to 361 in May 2026, a -25.6% change. Falling inventory tightens competition. When supply drops while demand holds, sale-to-list ratios rise before the median sale price does.
| Month | Active listings | New listings |
|---|---|---|
| June 2025 | 526 | 120 |
| July 2025 | 548 | 119 |
| August 2025 | 501 | 102 |
| September 2025 | 479 | 99 |
| October 2025 | 493 | 110 |
| November 2025 | 483 | 64 |
| December 2025 | 454 | 75 |
| January 2026 | 402 | 73 |
| February 2026 | 410 | 108 |
| March 2026 | 421 | 124 |
| April 2026 | 392 | 104 |
| May 2026 | 361 | 110 |
Redfin, through May 2026
How does Lake Charles compare to Louisiana and the U.S.?
Lake Charles homes sell for $225,000 — 16% below the Louisiana median of $269,000. Against the national median of $410,700, Lake Charles runs 45% lower. Year-over-year, Lake Charles moved +6.2% against Louisiana's +3.2% — a bigger swing than the state as a whole.
| Market | Median sale price | YoY | Days on market |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Charles, LA | $225,000 | +6.2% | 56 days |
| Louisiana statewide | $269,000 | +3.2% | 55 days |
| United States | $410,700 | not published | not published |
City and state rows: Redfin, through May 2026 · U.S. row: Freddie Mac via FRED, April 2026 (MSPUS, quarterly)
What to do next in Lake Charles
What buyers should watch
- Months of supply, currently 5.2. It turns before price does — when it climbs past 6, sellers start taking offers they would have rejected a quarter earlier.
- The share of listings cutting price, currently 23.3%. A listing that has already cut once is the one most likely to accept below asking.
- The gap between 5% and 20% down here is $207 a month in principal and interest alone, before mortgage insurance. That gap, not the price, is usually what decides your timeline.
- Rate moves. At 7.03%, every full point of rate change moves the payment on a $206,515 home more than a 5% price change does.
- Your credit tier before you shop, not after — it sets the rate you are quoted. Run your numbers first.
What sellers should know
- The median Lake Charles listing goes under contract in 56 days. If yours passes that mark, the market is telling you the price is wrong — not that you need more showings.
- Homes here close at 97.5% of asking. Price to that ratio from day one rather than chasing the market down in cuts.
- In the last published month Lake Charles added 110 new listings against 69 sales — more competition arriving than clearing, so early timing matters.
- Your equity moved +1.7% in the last 12 months on the Zillow value series. That, not the price you paid, is what sets your net proceeds.
- Comparable ZIP-level pricing inside Lake Charles varies more than the citywide median suggests — check the ZIP pages below before you set a number.
Homes for sale in Lake Charles
There are currently 361 homes listed for sale in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The median listing price is $243K.
Active listings
361
Homes on market
Median list price
$243K
Avg. days on market
56
Days until sale
New this week
110
Newly listed
How much do homes cost in Lake Charles by property type?
How the Lake Charles, LA market breaks down across single-family homes, condos and townhouses. Redfin, through May 2026
| Property type | Median price | Price / sq ft | Homes sold | Days on market |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single-family | $220,000 | $128/sq ft | 67 | 56 days |
| Townhouse | $135,000 | $95/sq ft | 3 | 238 days |
Who lives in Lake Charles?
American Community Survey estimates for Lake Charles. U.S. Census ACS, 2023
Population
81,679
Households
31,845
Median income
$56,864/yr
Median age
36.2 years
Owner-occupied
61.1%
Median home value
$204,000
Median gross rent
$1,090/mo
Mean commute
17.9 min
61.1% of occupied homes in Lake Charles are owner-occupied, and the rest are rented — which is the share that decides how much of the local housing stock ever reaches the for-sale market. The Census self-reported median home value is $204,000 against Zillow's $206,515 typical value; the gap is normal — ACS asks owners what they think their home is worth, Zillow models transactions. Census median gross rent (all leases, including long-held ones) is $1,090/mo, below Zillow's $1,375/mo asking rent on new leases — the difference is roughly what a mover pays over a stayer.
Which public schools serve Lake Charles?
34 schools tracked · 19,436 students
The largest public schools serving Lake Charles, LA by enrollment, drawn from the National Center for Education Statistics. School quality is a commonly cited factor in home-buying decisions — these are the campuses families in this area are most likely to encounter.
Alfred M. Barbe High School
Grades 9-12 · 2,012 students
Sam Houston High School
Grades 9-12 · 1,191 students
S. J. Welsh Middle School
Grades 6-8 · 1,031 students
Moss Bluff Elementary School
Grades PK-5 · 986 students
LaGrange High School
Grades 9-12 · 941 students
Lake Charles Charter Academy
Grades PK-8 · 923 students
Moss Bluff Middle School
Grades 6-8 · 864 students
Southwest Louisiana Charter Academy
Grades PK-8 · 848 students
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data directory. Updated annually. Ratings and test scores are not currently displayed.
Which cities are near Lake Charles, LA?
Ordered by distance from Lake Charles, not by size. Compare Lake Charles side by side with any of them.
Lake Charles housing market FAQ
Is Lake Charles a buyer's or seller's market?
Lake Charles, LA is currently a buyer's market. That read comes from 5.2 months of supply, homes going under contract in about 56 days, and sellers getting 97.5% of their asking price in the last month Redfin published (May 2026).
How much do homes cost in Lake Charles?
The typical home in Lake Charles, LA is worth $206,515 (Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026). The median sale price in the last month Redfin published was $225,000, about $128 per square foot.
Is Lake Charles cheaper than the rest of Louisiana?
Lake Charles's median sale price of $225,000 is 16% lower than the Louisiana statewide median of $269,000, and 45% below the U.S. median of $410,700. Both figures are for the same period.
How long do homes take to sell in Lake Charles?
Homes in Lake Charles, LA spent a median of 56 days on market before going under contract, versus 55 days statewide. That is a normal pace: enough time to see a home twice, not enough to wait a month. (Redfin, through May 2026.)
What income do you need to buy a home in Lake Charles?
At the current 30-year fixed rate of 7.03%, 20% down on a $206,515 home is about $1,102 a month in principal and interest. Lenders typically want that under 28% of gross income, which works out to roughly $47,250 a year before taxes, insurance, HOA dues or mortgage insurance. The local median household income is $56,864.
Are home prices rising in Lake Charles?
The typical home value in Lake Charles, LA rose 1.7% over the last 12 months, from $203,066 to $206,515 (Zillow, August 2026). This is the live series — it refreshes monthly.
What are the cheapest ZIP codes in Lake Charles?
Lake Charles ZIP-level sale prices are not all published for the same period, so ranking them would compare different months. The ZIP pages listed on this page show what we hold for each one individually.
Is now a good time to buy in Lake Charles?
That depends on your timeline, not on a headline. What the data says today: Lake Charles, LA is a buyer's market with 5.2 months of supply, the 30-year fixed rate is 7.03%, and the price-to-rent ratio of 12.5x means buying tends to beat renting on monthly cost over a typical hold. Properties Incorporated publishes the data; it does not give financial advice.
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