| Metric | Latest | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Median listing price | $241,495 | +0.6% YoY |
| Median price per sq ft | $128 | 1,850 sq ft median |
| Median days on market | 85 | +32% YoY |
| Active listings | 784 | -29% YoY |
| New listings this month | 214 | September 2026 |
| Listings with a price cut | 16% | Share of active |
| Median sale price (closed) | $235,250 | +4.6% YoY · closed sales, July 2026 |
| Sale-to-list ratio | n/a | Non-disclosure state: sale prices are not public record, so WealthyBud does not show or rank this ratio |
| Pending-to-active ratio | 40.5% | 317 pending |
| Inventory vs 2019 | 73% | Active listings vs same month in 2019 |
| Gross rental yield | 5.8% | 2BR fair market rent |
Metropolitan market · Louisiana · September 2026 data
What is the Lake Charles, LA real estate market doing?
As of September 2026, the median home listed in Lake Charles, LA asks $241,495, up 0.6% year over year. Homes spend a median of 85 days on market, with 784 active listings and 16% carrying a price cut; pending contracts equal 40% of active listings, and inventory sits at 73% of the same month in 2019 — a balanced market. Estimated gross rental yield on the median listing is 5.8%. Figures come from public records and industry data, updated monthly.
Median listing price
$241,495
▲ 0.6% YoY
Median $ / sq ft
$128
1,850 sq ft median
Median days on market
85
September 2026
Active listings
784
For sale now
New listings
214
September 2026
Listings with price cuts
16%
Share of active
Inventory vs 2019
73%
Same month, 2019 = 100
Pending / active
40%
Contract activity
Median sale price (closed)
$235,250
▲ 4.6% YoY · closed sales · July 2026
Sale-to-list ratio
n/a
Non-disclosure state: sale prices are not public record, so WealthyBud does not show or rank this ratio
Homes sold / month
233
Closed sales · July 2026, seasonally adjusted
What is the Lake Charles, LA housing market doing right now?
The Lake Charles, LA housing market lists at a $241,495 median as of September 2026, up 0.6% year over year, with an 85-day median market time and 784 homes for sale (16% with a price cut). Active inventory is 73% of the 2019 level, reading as a balanced market under WealthyBud's published buyer/seller rule. Gross rental yield is about 5.8%.
Lake Charles housing market statistics
The table summarizes Lake Charles's key housing figures for September 2026 — median listing and closed-sale prices, market pace, inventory and rental yield — each computed from public records and industry data. Closed-sale figures are Redfin's July 2026 data, the latest settled month Redfin reports for Lake Charles.
How have home prices changed in Lake Charles?
Lake Charles home prices are up 0.6% year over year and +0.6% month over month as of September 2026, at a $241,495 median listing price. The chart tracks the trailing eight-quarter trend in the metro's median asking price.
Median listing price, Lake Charles LA · trailing 8 quarters · source: public records and industry data.
The 10-year view
10-year median listing price, Lake Charles LA · June of each year, 2017–2026 · source: public records and industry data.
How much inventory is on the market in Lake Charles?
Lake Charles has 784 active listings, 214 new this month, 317 pending as of September 2026. About 16% of active listings have cut their price, and inventory sits at 73% of its 2019 level — a balanced market by pace.
Is Lake Charles a good real estate investment?
Lake Charles scores 73/100 on WealthyBud's composite Investor Score, ranking #64 of 933 covered U.S. metros as of September 2026. The score blends price momentum, value, rental yield, supply and market heat into one percentile. It is a research opinion, not advice.
Investor Score
73/100
#64 of 933 covered metros
Price volatility
Low
σ 3.1% · 20-yr price-index swings
Lake Charles scores 73/100 on our composite Investor Score (#64 of 933 covered metros), a percentile blend of momentum, value, rental yield, supply and market-heat readings; the metro's long-run house price index has it up 14% over five years and +34% over ten, leaving prices 5% below its own 2000–2019 trend; at the published FY2026 fair market rent of $1,172/mo for a two-bedroom, the gross rental yield on the median listing is about 5.8%; active inventory sits at 73% of its June 2019 level, so supply is still below pre-pandemic norms; listing prices are up 0.6% year over year; all against a national 30-year fixed mortgage rate of 7.28% (national weekly average, 2026-10-01).
Scores are percentile ranks (0–100) across all covered U.S. metros, computed from the public data cited on this page — formulas here. They are data-derived opinions, not investment advice. See how Lake Charles ranks on the trending markets index.
How much is a monthly mortgage payment in Lake Charles?
A home at Lake Charles's $241,495 median listing runs about $1,322 a month in principal and interest — 20% down on a 30-year fixed loan at the current 7.28% national average rate. Taxes, insurance and HOA are extra.
If rates fall 1% · 6.28%
$1,193/mo
−$129/mo vs today
At today's rate · 7.28%
$1,322/mo
National weekly average
If rates rise 1% · 8.28%
$1,455/mo
+$134/mo vs today
Principal & interest on the $241,495 median listing with 20% down and a 30-year fixed loan — excludes taxes, insurance and HOA. Current rate: 7.28% (national weekly average, 2026-10-01). Model a full deal in the deal analyzer.
How much income do you need to buy a home in Lake Charles?
To buy Lake Charles’s $241,495 median listing with 20% down, a household needs about $60,000 a year in gross income, keeping principal, interest and property tax ($1,406/mo) at 28% of income. The area’s median household income is $67,010, so the median listing is within reach of a typical Lake Charles household on these terms.
| Item | Amount | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Median listing price | $241,495 | September 2026 |
| Down payment (20%) | $48,299 | Assumption |
| Principal & interest (7.28%, 30-yr fixed) | $1,322/mo | Rate as of 2026-10-01 |
| Property tax (0.42% effective rate) | $85/mo | Census ACS |
| Income needed (28% rule) | $60,000 | Gross household income / yr |
| Median household income | $67,010 | Census ACS 2023 ACS 5-year |
Excludes homeowners insurance, HOA dues and mortgage insurance, so the true income needed is higher. Compare every market in the income-needed ranking and the price-to-income ranking.
What is driving the Lake Charles housing market?
Longer-run demand in Lake Charles shows up in 601 homes permitted in 2025; net migration of -26 residents; +1.1% job growth. Natural-hazard risk rates Relatively High. These federal supply-pipeline, migration and jobs signals shape where prices head next.
Building permits (2025)
601
▼ 56.9% vs 2024
2.4 per 1,000 residents
Net migration (2022–2023)
-26
▼ people, via tax-return records
net income flow −$35.6M/yr
Job growth (YoY)
+1.1%
▲ 106.5k nonfarm jobs · August 2026
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively High
National hazard index · top hazard: Hurricane
Based on public government records — building-permit, tax-return migration, employment and natural-hazard statistics, aggregated to the metro. Details on /methodology.
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ReadLake Charles housing market FAQ
What is the median home price in Lake Charles?
As of September 2026, the median listing price in Lake Charles, LA is $241,495, up 0.6% year over year (source: public records and industry data). Figures cover the Lake Charles, LA metro area.
How much does it cost to buy a home in Lake Charles?
The median home listed in Lake Charles asks $241,495 as of September 2026. With 20% down on a 30-year fixed loan at the current 7.28% national average rate, that runs about $1,322 a month in principal and interest, before taxes, insurance and HOA.
How fast are homes selling in Lake Charles?
The median property in Lake Charles spends 85 days on the market, with 784 homes actively listed and 16% of them carrying a price cut — a balanced market as of September 2026.
Is it a buyer's or seller's market in Lake Charles?
With a median 85 days on market and 16% of active listings carrying a price cut, pending contracts at 40% of active listings, Lake Charles reads as a balanced market as of September 2026. Labels use WealthyBud's published DOM / sale-to-list / price-cut / pending rule. Conditions shift monthly.
Is Lake Charles a good place to invest in real estate?
Lake Charles scores 73/100 on WealthyBud's Investor Score, ranking #64 of 933 covered U.S. metros as of September 2026. The score blends price momentum, value, rental yield, supply and market heat. It is a data-derived research opinion, not investment advice.
Who are the top real estate agents in Lake Charles?
See WealthyBud directories for the top-producing agents, teams and brokerages serving Lake Charles and the wider Louisiana market, ranked by recent sales from public profile data.
Based on public records and industry data, September 2026 — see our methodology for how every figure is computed. Figures cover the Lake Charles, LA metro area. Figures change monthly — verify current conditions with a local agent or MLS. Portions of market data courtesy of Realtor.com and Redfin; additional statistics from U.S. government sources.
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