Kenner, LA vs Lake Charles, LA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Lake Charles, LA spends 18% more per resident than Kenner, LA: $12,552 against $10,644. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Kenner, LA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 87/100 (grade A) against 73/100 (grade B) for Lake Charles, LA — a 14-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Kenner, LA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Lake Charles, LA carries $4 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Kenner, LA at $662 per resident and in Lake Charles, LA at $737.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Kenner, LA at 11% of total revenue, whereas Lake Charles, LA relies most on charges and fees at 27%.
Summary
Lake Charles spends 15.2% more per capita than Kenner ($1,908/person difference). Kenner, LA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 87/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $28 | $38 |
| Income Tax | $558 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $208 | $10 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,751 |
| Other | $1,293 | $1,431 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $187 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $310 | $240 |
| Highways & Roads | $413 | $204 |
| Education | $174 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $505 | $543 |
| Hospitals | $373 | $1,466 |
| Parks & Recreation | $662 | $737 |
| Housing | $2,763 | $2,714 |
| Utilities | $1,010 | $1,918 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $435 |
| Other | $4,248 | $4,296 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.