Winston-Salem, NC vs Lake Charles, LA — Compare Cost of Living, Housing, Crime & More

Population

Winston-Salem

250,887

Lake Charles

81,679

Median Income

Winston-Salem

$57,673

Lake Charles

$56,864

Home Value

Winston-Salem

$208,200

Lake Charles

$204,000

Rent

Winston-Salem

$1,033

Lake Charles

$1,090

Crime Rate

Winston-Salem

8.10

Lake Charles

6.13

Cost of Living

Winston-Salem

98.4

Lake Charles

96.4

Avg Temp

Winston-Salem

N/A

Lake Charles

N/A

Unemployment

Winston-Salem

5.9%

Lake Charles

5.5%

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How Similar Are Winston-Salem & Lake Charles?

Lake Charles is Winston-Salem's #17 most similar city

5/10

5 of 10 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Winston-Salem

250,887

Lake Charles

81,679

Different · 67% difference

Winston-Salem (250,887) is about 3.1x larger than Lake Charles (81,679).

Violent Crime

Winston-Salem

8.10

Lake Charles

6.13

Different · 24% difference

🚨

Winston-Salem has a 24% higher violent crime than Lake Charles.

Property Crime

🔒

Winston-Salem

29.21

Lake Charles

24.70

Different · 15% difference

Winston-Salem has a 15% higher property crime than Lake Charles.

Political Leaning

Winston-Salem

42.8%

Lake Charles

69.0%

Different · 38% difference

🗳️

Winston-Salem leans Democratic while Lake Charles leans Republican.

Unemployment

💼

Winston-Salem

5.9%

Lake Charles

5.5%

Match · 7% difference

Both cities have similar unemployment — just a 7% difference.

Median Income

Winston-Salem

$57,673

Lake Charles

$56,864

Match · 1% difference

💰

Both cities have similar median income — just a 1% difference.

Home Values

🏠

Winston-Salem

$208,200

Lake Charles

$204,000

Match · 2% difference

Both cities have similar home values — just a 2% difference.

Education

Winston-Salem

24.1%

Lake Charles

19.6%

Different · 19% difference

🎓

Winston-Salem has a 19% higher education than Lake Charles.

Demographics

🌍

Winston-Salem

48.7%

Lake Charles

47.4%

Match · 3% difference

Both cities have similar demographics — just a 3% difference.

Cost of Living

Winston-Salem

98.4

Lake Charles

96.4

Match · 2% difference

💵

Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 2% difference.

5 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Winston-Salem and Lake Charles share several key characteristics.

At a Glance

Winston-Salem

vsof 8

Lake Charles

Cost of Living & Affordability

Lake Charles

Housing Market

Tied

Jobs & Economy

Winston-Salem

Crime & Safety

Lake Charles

Weather & Climate

Tied

Schools & Education

Winston-Salem

Healthcare

Tied

Transportation & Commute

Tied

Cost of Living & Affordability — Lake Charles leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

Lake Charles has a fair market rent (1br) of $928 vs $1,082 in Winston-Salem (17% lower). Lake Charles scores 105.9 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 109.9 in Winston-Salem. Lake Charles has a living wage (1 adult) of $42,399 vs $43,287 in Winston-Salem.

Overall Cost Index

Winston-Salem98.4

Lake Charles96.4

★

Housing Index

Winston-Salem109.9

Lake Charles105.9

★

Food Index

Winston-Salem94.1

Lake Charles93.5

★

Transportation Index

Winston-Salem88.2

Lake Charles86.9

★

Healthcare Index

Winston-Salem95.3

Lake Charles94.8

★

Utilities Index

Winston-Salem98.4

Lake Charles97.3

★

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Winston-Salem$43,287

Lake Charles$42,399

★

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Winston-Salem$102,314

Lake Charles$100,216

★

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Winston-Salem$1,082

Lake Charles$928

★

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Winston-Salem$1,232

Lake Charles$1,217

★

Housing Market

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Lake Charles has a median property tax of $692 vs $1,964 in Winston-Salem (184% lower). Winston-Salem has a vacancy rate of 11.6% compared to 20.7% in Lake Charles. Lake Charles has a owner-occupied of 61.1% compared to 54.6% in Winston-Salem.

Median Home Value

Winston-Salem$208,200

★

Lake Charles$204,000

Median Rent

Winston-Salem$1,033

★

Lake Charles$1,090

Median Property Tax

Winston-Salem$1,964

Lake Charles$692

★

Owner-Occupied

Winston-Salem54.6%

Lake Charles61.1%

★

Vacancy Rate

Winston-Salem11.6%

★

Lake Charles20.7%

Single-Family Homes

Winston-Salem65.9%

Lake Charles70.7%

★

Jobs & Economy — Winston-Salem leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Winston-Salem: 122,917 vs Lake Charles: 39,030 for labor force. Winston-Salem has a work from home of 12.3% compared to 4.8% in Lake Charles. Winston-Salem has a poverty rate of 17.9% compared to 23.2% in Lake Charles.

Median Household Income

Winston-Salem$57,673

★

Lake Charles$56,864

Per Capita Income

Winston-Salem$35,074

Lake Charles$35,847

★

Poverty Rate

Winston-Salem17.9%

★

Lake Charles23.2%

Unemployment Rate

Winston-Salem5.9%

Lake Charles5.5%

★

Labor Force

Winston-Salem122,917

★

Lake Charles39,030

Mean Commute

Winston-SalemN/A

Lake CharlesN/A

Work from Home

Winston-Salem12.3%

★

Lake Charles4.8%

Private Sector

Winston-Salem86.5%

★

Lake Charles85.3%

Government Sector

Winston-Salem41.8%

★

Lake Charles38.5%

Crime & Safety — Lake Charles leads

Source: FBI UCR

Winston-Salem has a property crime clearance of 16.8% compared to 9.3% in Lake Charles. Lake Charles has a robbery rate (per 1k) of 0.64 compared to 0.97 in Winston-Salem. Lake Charles has a assault rate (per 1k) of 4.80 compared to 6.55 in Winston-Salem.

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

Winston-Salem8.10

Lake Charles6.13

★

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

Winston-Salem29.21

Lake Charles24.70

★

Murder Rate (per 1K)

Winston-Salem0.11

★

Lake Charles0.17

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

Winston-Salem0.97

Lake Charles0.64

★

Assault Rate (per 1K)

Winston-Salem6.55

Lake Charles4.80

★

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

Winston-Salem5.70

★

Lake Charles6.13

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

Winston-Salem19.97

Lake Charles16.52

★

Violent Crime Clearance

Winston-Salem44.7%

★

Lake Charles38.9%

Property Crime Clearance

Winston-Salem16.8%

★

Lake Charles9.3%

Weather & Climate

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Avg Annual Temperature

Winston-SalemN/A

Lake CharlesN/A

Avg Annual High

Winston-SalemN/A

Lake CharlesN/A

Avg Annual Low

Winston-SalemN/A

Lake CharlesN/A

Sunny Days per Year

Winston-SalemN/A

Lake CharlesN/A

Annual Rainfall

Winston-SalemN/A

Lake CharlesN/A

Annual Snowfall

Winston-SalemN/A

Lake CharlesN/A

Avg Humidity

Winston-SalemN/A

Lake CharlesN/A

Schools & Education — Winston-Salem leads

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Winston-Salem has a bachelor's degree or higher of 24.1% compared to 19.6% in Lake Charles.

Public Schools

Winston-Salem0

Lake Charles0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

Winston-SalemN/A

Lake CharlesN/A

Colleges & Universities

Winston-Salem0

Lake Charles0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Winston-Salem24.1%

★

Lake Charles19.6%

High School Diploma or Higher

Winston-Salem39.5%

Lake Charles39.7%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Winston-Salem has a population of 250,887, about 3.1x the size of Lake Charles (81,679).

Population

Winston-Salem250,887

Lake Charles81,679

Median Age

Winston-Salem36

Lake Charles36

Avg Household Size

Winston-Salem2.4

Lake Charles2.5

Married Population

Winston-Salem34.0%

Lake Charles35.1%

Foreign Born

Winston-Salem10.7%

Lake Charles4.7%

White

Winston-Salem48.7%

Lake Charles47.4%

Black

Winston-Salem32.4%

Lake Charles42.8%

Hispanic

Winston-Salem17.9%

Lake Charles4.7%

Asian

Winston-Salem2.3%

Lake Charles2.6%

Winston-Salem

Lake Charles

Healthcare

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

Winston-Salem: 4 vs Lake Charles: 3 for with emergency services. Lake Charles: 4.0 vs Winston-Salem: 3.8 for avg cms rating (out of 5).

Nearby Hospitals

Winston-Salem5

Lake Charles5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Winston-Salem3.8

Lake Charles4.0

★

With Emergency Services

Winston-Salem4

★

Lake Charles3

Transportation & Commute

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Winston-Salem has a public transit of 1.2% compared to 0.1% in Lake Charles. Winston-Salem has a work from home of 12.3% compared to 4.8% in Lake Charles. Lake Charles has a drive alone of 81.4% compared to 73.2% in Winston-Salem.

Mean Commute Time

Winston-SalemN/A

Lake CharlesN/A

Drive Alone

Winston-Salem73.2%

Lake Charles81.4%

★

Public Transit

Winston-Salem1.2%

★

Lake Charles0.1%

Bicycle

Winston-Salem0.3%

Lake Charles0.3%

★

Work from Home

Winston-Salem12.3%

★

Lake Charles4.8%

Airports

Winston-Salem0

Lake Charles0

Cities Similar to Winston-Salem, NC

Compare Winston-Salem against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.

🧬

City Comparison

8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.

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