Lake Charles, LA Metro Area
The Lake Charles, LA metro area is made up of 3 parishes in Louisiana: Calcasieu, Jefferson Davis, and Cameron, largest first. About 244,655 people lived there on July 1, 2025 (Census estimate), 3.9% fewer than in April 2020.
- Population, July 2025
- 244,655 3.9% fewer than in April 2020
- Type
- Metropolitan statistical area
- Parishes
- 3: 1 central, 2 outlying
- Land area
- 3,000 sq mi (7,771 km²)
- Time zone
- Central TimeUTC-06:00 in January; UTC-05:00 in July
- State
- Louisiana
- Combined statistical area
- Lake Charles-DeRidder, LA
- CBSA code
- 29340
Parishes in the Lake Charles, LA metro area, largest first
| Parish | Role | Population, July 2025 | Share of the area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calcasieu Parish | Central | 208,466 | 85.2% |
| Jefferson Davis Parish | Outlying | 31,471 | 12.9% |
| Cameron Parish | Outlying | 4,718 | 1.9% |
A central parish holds the area’s core, an urban area of at least 50,000 people. An outlying parish is in the area because of commuting: at least a quarter of its workers have jobs in the central parish, or at least a quarter of the people working there live in them. A parish belongs to one metro or micro area at most, and it counts whole, countryside included.
Principal city
- Lake Charles81,143 people
OMB names the area after its largest principal cities. A principal city is the area’s largest city, plus any other city that is very large or a big job center, and smaller ones with at least as many jobs as working residents (2020 Census and commuting figures). People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Part of the Lake Charles-DeRidder, LA combined statistical area
OMB joins neighboring metro and micro areas into a combined statistical area when enough people commute between them. The other area in this one is
- DeRidder, LA Micro Area36,673 people
Bordering metro and micro areas, nearest first
Areas with a parish on this area’s edge. Distances are straight lines between the areas’ largest cities.
- DeRidder, LA Micro Area45 mi north
- Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX Metro Area56 mi west
- Lafayette, LA Metro Area71 mi east
Before using this answer on a form
A metro or micro area is a statistical area that OMB draws for federal statistics. It is not a city, a local government or a mailing address, and it is not a measure of urban and rural: whole counties count, rural parts included. Programs that use metro areas, such as housing income limits or wage rates, can use their own version of these lists; check the program’s own list for an address.
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