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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Lake Charles, LA

Population: 82,430 (2022) · Small Cities (50K–100K)

B
73/100

Good fiscal health — above-average across most metrics

Total Spending
$1.0B
Per Capita
$12,552
Total Revenue
$533.9M
Total Debt
$322K

Spending Breakdown

Other
34.2%$354.1M
Housing & Community Development
21.6%$223.7M
Utilities
15.3%$158.1M
Hospitals
11.7%$120.9M
Parks & Recreation
5.9%$60.8M
Public Welfare
4.3%$44.8M
Interest on Debt
3.5%$35.9M
Fire Protection
1.9%$19.8M
Highways & Roads
1.6%$16.8M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Sales Tax
0.6%$3.2M
Intergovernmental
0.2%$852K
Charges & Fees
27.0%$144.3M
Other
22.1%$118.0M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$240/person
Highways & Roads$204/person
Parks & Recreation$737/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)32/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)99/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$322K
Long-Term Debt$0
Debt Per Capita$4
Cash & Securities$17.0M

Compare Cities

See how Lake Charles stacks up against another city.

vs New Orleans, LAvs Baton Rouge, LAvs Shreveport, LA
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in Louisiana

New Orleans, LA

Pop. 380K

C
Total Spending
$12.5B
Per Capita
$32,984

Baton Rouge, LA

Pop. 226K

B
Total Spending
$9.9B
Per Capita
$43,886

Shreveport, LA

Pop. 186K

B
Total Spending
$3.2B
Per Capita
$17,313

Metairie, LA

Pop. 140K

C

Compare Lake Charles With

New Orleans, LA

Spending: $32,984/person · Grade: C

Baton Rouge, LA

Spending: $43,886/person · Grade: B

Shreveport, LA

Spending: $17,313/person · Grade: B

Metairie, LA

Spending: $0/person · Grade: C

Frequently Asked Questions

Lake Charles, LA spends $12,552 per resident, based on total expenditures of $1.0B for a population of 82,430. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of B (73/100).

Lake Charles, LA has total expenditures of $1.0B and total revenue of $533.9M. The city carries $322K in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Lake Charles, LA employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Lake Charles, LA has a Fiscal Health Score of B (73/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

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