70601 ZIP Code — Lake Charles, LA

Calcasieu County, Louisiana

ZIP code 70601 is located in Lake Charles, Louisiana, within Calcasieu County. It covers approximately 16.12 square miles and serves a population of 32,936 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 337.

About ZIP code 70601

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1950s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $145,700. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 56%.

The gap between median ($48,385) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. Poverty affects 28% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 23% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 34% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 18 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 21% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of obesity (45%), diabetes (19%), smoking (26%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 70601 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

32,936

population

16.12

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

70601 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 70601

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 70601. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Lake Charles	Acceptable
Lake Charles	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

70629 Lake Charles (1.1 mi) 70669 Westlake (2.6 mi) 70609 Lake Charles (4.2 mi) 70611 Lake Charles (6.6 mi) 70615 Lake Charles (7 mi) 70605 Lake Charles (8.4 mi) 70663 Sulphur (10.4 mi) 70607 Lake Charles (12.1 mi) 70647 Iowa (13 mi) 70665 Sulphur (14.8 mi) 70633 Dequincy (16 mi) 70630 Bell City (17.9 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	32,936
Population density	2,043 / sq mi
State FIPS	22
County FIPS	019

Geography
Land area	16.12 sq mi
Water area	2.35 sq mi
Latitude	30.2400
Longitude	-93.2270
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	337

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	59.7%	47.1%	49.2%
$50k – $100k	25.6%	29.1%	27.7%
$100k – $200k	10.4%	19.2%	18.3%
Over $200k	4.3%	4.7%	4.7%

Demographics & statistics

32,936

Population

2,043

People per sq mi

37.0

Median age

$48,385

Median household income

$33,481

Per capita income

$145,700

Median home value

$865

Median monthly rent

56.1%

Home ownership

28.3%

Poverty rate

6.7%

Unemployment

11,009

Housing units

21.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

1,096

Under 5

1,188

820

5–9

889

951

10–14

1,030

656

15–19

710

1,003

20–24

1,087

2,819

25–34

3,055

1,837

35–44

1,990

1,545

45–54

1,673

1,065

55–59

1,154

1,274

60–64

1,380

1,534

65–74

1,661

788

75–84

853

421

85+

457

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	6,837	20.8%
18 and over	26,099	79.2%
65 and over	5,714	17.3%
Median age	37.0 years

Race & ethnicity

Black or African American 62.3%

White 28.5%

Two or more races 4.5%

Hispanic or Latino 2.9%

Other race 0.9%

Asian 0.7%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
Black or African American	21,158	62.3%
White	9,667	28.5%
Two or more races	1,543	4.5%
Hispanic or Latino	999	2.9%
Other race	316	0.9%
Asian	226	0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	26	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	59.7%	47.1%	49.2%
$50k – $100k	25.6%	29.1%	27.7%
$100k – $200k	10.4%	19.2%	18.3%
Over $200k	4.3%	4.7%	4.7%

Under $10k 8.8%

$10k–$15k 8.0%

$15k–$25k 14.1%

$25k–$35k 9.8%

$35k–$50k 11.3%

$50k–$75k 17.8%

$75k–$100k 10.4%

$100k–$150k 10.5%

$150k–$200k 2.6%

$200k+ 6.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	8.8%
$10k–$15k	8.0%
$15k–$25k	14.1%
$25k–$35k	9.8%
$35k–$50k	11.3%
$50k–$75k	17.8%
$75k–$100k	10.4%
$100k–$150k	10.5%
$150k–$200k	2.6%
$200k+	6.6%
Median income	$48,385

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.6%

$50k–$100k 21.0%

$100k–$150k 27.0%

$150k–$200k 17.1%

$200k–$300k 18.5%

$300k–$500k 5.3%

$500k–$1M 2.1%

$1M+ 4.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$145,700
Median rent / month	$865
Owner occupied	56.1%
Renter occupied	43.9%
Vacant	22.3%
Single-family detached	74.5%
Large apartment buildings	4.8%
Mobile homes	1.4%
Median rooms	5.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.48

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.3%
2010–2019	11.9%
2000–2009	7.9%
1990–1999	4.6%
1980–1989	11.8%
1970–1979	12.6%
1960–1969	14.5%
1950–1959	18.5%
1940–1949	9.7%
1939 or earlier	8.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.1%
1 bedroom	14.2%
2 bedrooms	29.0%
3 bedrooms	43.1%
4 bedrooms	10.5%
5+ bedrooms	2.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	11.0%
1 vehicle	35.4%
2 vehicles	35.9%
3 or more	17.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	36.3%
Electricity	62.3%
Propane / LP gas	1.2%
No fuel used	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	4,607	35.5%
Cohabiting couple	666	5.1%
Male householder, no spouse	2,681	20.7%
Female householder, no spouse	5,026	38.7%
Households with children under 18	3,089	23.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	4,508	34.7%
Average household size	2.50

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	37.2%	34.9%
Married	44.8%	36.0%
Separated	2.5%	2.5%
Widowed	2.8%	11.1%
Divorced	12.7%	15.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.8%

Some HS, no diploma 10.1%

HS graduate 31.6%

Some college, no degree 24.2%

Associate's degree 8.0%

Bachelor's degree 13.7%

Graduate / professional 7.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	85.1%
Bachelor's or higher	21.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	377	6.0%
Kindergarten	219	3.5%
Elementary school	3,291	52.5%
High school	999	15.9%
College / grad school	1,379	22.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 24.2%

Retail trade 15.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 12.1%

Professional & management 9.1%

Construction 8.5%

Manufacturing 7.1%

Finance & real estate 6.7%

Other services 4.7%

Transportation & utilities 4.3%

Public administration 4.1%

Information 1.7%

Agriculture & mining 1.3%

Wholesale trade 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	31.1%
Service	26.2%
Sales & office	21.9%
Natural resources & construction	11.1%
Production & transportation	9.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	83.0%
Government	11.8%
Self-employed	5.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	81.3%
Carpool	9.0%
Public transit	0.1%
Walk	3.6%
Work from home	3.3%
Other means	2.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	17.9

Poverty

All people 28.3%

Under 18 years 48.5%

18 and over 22.9%

Married-couple families 10.2%

Female-led households 33.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	34.0%
Retirement income	21.8%
Supplemental Security	12.1%
Cash public assistance	1.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	22.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	44.5%
High blood pressure	48.2%
High cholesterol	33.6%
Diabetes	19.2%
Heart disease	8.4%
Stroke	5.6%
Asthma	11.2%
Arthritis	29.0%
Kidney disease	4.4%
Pulmonary disease	9.5%
Cancer	6.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	25.6%
Binge drinking	16.3%
No physical activity	39.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	44.9%
Depression	23.8%
Fair or poor health	26.9%
Poor mental health	20.1%
Poor physical health	15.7%
No health insurance	17.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	81.2%
Visited dentist	43.8%
Cholesterol screening	89.3%
Teeth loss	27.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	2,020	7.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.8%
Under 18	5.5%
18–64 years	13.5%
65 and over	37.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	48.3%
Public insurance	56.0%
No insurance	9.5%
Uninsured under 19	3.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	30,652	93.1%
Spanish	262	0.9%
Other Indo-European	93	0.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	90	0.3%
Other languages	26	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	32,361	98.3%
Born in same state	32,321	98.1%
Born in different state	27,198	82.6%
Foreign born	40	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	575	1.7%
Not a US citizen	330	57.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	1,349	4.1%
Italian	1,006	3.1%
Arab	859	2.6%
German	766	2.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	162	0.5%
Dutch	25	0.1%
Polish	11	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.4%
Internet access	86.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 70601

What city is ZIP code 70601 in?

ZIP code 70601 is primarily assigned to Lake Charles, Louisiana.

What county is ZIP code 70601 in?

ZIP code 70601 falls within Calcasieu County, Louisiana.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 70601?

28% of residents in ZIP code 70601 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 70601?

Health data for ZIP code 70601 shows elevated rates of obesity (45%) and diabetes (19%) and smoking (26%) compared to national benchmarks.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 70601?

The median home value in ZIP code 70601 is $145,700.

What is the population of ZIP code 70601?

ZIP code 70601 has an estimated population of 32,936 residents, with a density of 2,043 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 70601 in?

ZIP code 70601 observes the CST timezone.