Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Lake Charles, Louisiana
A $204,000 home here costs
$1,656per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,049. The real number is $607 higher every month — 58% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Lake Charles against Calcasieu Parish and Louisiana
| Measure | Lake Charles | Calcasieu Parish |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $204,000 | $208,500 |
| Median property tax | $692 | $926 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.339% | 0.444% |
| Median gross rent | $1,090 | $1,096 |
| Population | 81,679 | 208,668 |
The weather behind that power bill
Lake Charles sits in Calcasieu Parish, which averages a high of 92.8°F in its hottest month and a low of 43.4°F in its coldest, with 59.75" of precipitation a year and 31% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 3,063 cooling and 1,315 heating degree days, which is what sets the $127 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Calcasieu Parish — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Calcasieu Parish
Full Calcasieu Parish cost breakdown · Every county in Louisiana
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Lake Charles?
A $204,000 home in Lake Charles, Louisiana costs approximately $1,656 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,049 principal and interest, $58 property tax, $184 homeowners insurance, $195 utilities and $170 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Lake Charles?
Lake Charles has an effective property tax rate of 0.339%, based on a median home value of $204,000 and median real estate taxes of $692. That is lower than the Calcasieu Parish average of 0.444%.
What is the average home price in Lake Charles?
The median owner-occupied home value in Lake Charles, Louisiana is $204,000, against $208,500 across Calcasieu Parish.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Lake Charles?
Median gross rent in Lake Charles is $1,090 a month, against $1,656 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Lake Charles — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Louisiana.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.