Lake Charles metropolitan area

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Map of Louisiana highlighting the Lake Charles metropolitan area.

The Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan area in the Acadiana region of southwest Louisiana that covers two parishes - Calcasieu and Cameron. As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 193,568 (though a July 1, 2006 estimate placed the population at 192,316).^[1] It is also part of the larger Lake Charles-Jennings Combined Statistical Area.

Metropolitan Lake Charles is commonly referred to as the Lake Charles Area or the Lake Area, though mention of these "area" terms generally is in reference to most, if not all, of the five parish region of southwest Louisiana.

Southwest Louisiana includes Calcasieu and the three surrounding parishes, along with Allen Parish. These parishes comprise the modern-day geographical counterpart of old Imperial Calcasieu – so-called because of its former vastness prior to the cession of the four adjacent parishes.

1 Parishes
2 Communities
3 Demographics
4 See also
5 References

[edit] Parishes

[edit] Communities

[edit] Cities

[edit] Towns

Iowa
Vinton

[edit] Census-designated places

[edit] Unincorporated places

Bell City
Big Lake
Creole
Gillis
Grand Chenier
Grand Lake
Holly Beach
Johnson Bayou
Starks

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 193,568 people, 72,205 households, and 51,762 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 74.63% White, 22.94% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.63% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.44% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.38% of the population.

The median income for a household in the MSA was $34,802, and the median income for a family was $40,783. Males had a median income of $33,868 versus $20,252 for females. The per capita income for the MSA was $16,529.