Austin, TX vs Lake Charles, LA

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Austin

68.3

#1322 nationally

Lake Charles

76.2

#371 nationally

Austin leads in median household income ($91,461 vs $54,761). Lake Charles leads in average commute (18 min vs 26.8 min). Lake Charles leads in cost of living index (94 vs 129).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Austin, TX	Lake Charles, LA
WhereAtHome Score	68.3 (#1322)	76.2 (#371)
Population	967,862	79,633
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$504,148	$206,355
Median Household Income	$91,461	$54,761
Average Commute	26.8 min	18 min
Walk Score	42	37
Crime Level	Moderate	16.8
School Rating	7.2	N/A
Cost of Living Index	129	94
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+39.3	R+39.6