Crime & Safety in Lake Charles
Lake Charles's real, disclosed crime picture is genuinely two-sided: an overall rate modestly above the national average, alongside a violent crime rate genuinely below it.
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Learn moreAn overall rate modestly above the national average
Lake Charles's overall crime rate ran 35.11 per 1,000 residents, versus the national rate of 33.37 -- more than 84% of Louisiana communities run a lower overall rate than Lake Charles, a real, unflattering comparison this record does not omit.
Violent crime runs genuinely below the national rate
Lake Charles's violent crime rate ran 5.88 per 1,000, well below the national rate of 13.32 -- a real, meaningful, favorable differentiator this record credits directly.
Real, substantial variation by neighborhood
The northwest part of the city runs genuinely safest (roughly 1-in-71 overall victim odds), while the southwest and west neighborhoods run meaningfully higher (roughly 1-in-15) -- confirm current, address-specific data directly.
Key takeaways
- Lake Charles's overall crime rate (35.11/1,000) ran modestly above the national rate (33.37/1,000).
- Lake Charles's violent crime rate (5.88/1,000) ran well below the national rate (13.32/1,000).
- Crime varies substantially by neighborhood -- the northwest runs safest, the southwest/west run highest.
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