Lake Charles Now Listed Among Most Dangerous U.S. Metro Cities

According to the FBI's 2020 Uniform Crime Report, violent crimes in metro cities across the U.S. are up by 5%. The annual report measures the data of population-adjusted cases of rape, robbery, aggravated assault, and homicides.

Sadly, the Lake Areas violent crime rate is almost double that of the U.S. rate. In addition, the violence in Lake Charles is now 44% higher than it was in 2019 entirely due to a rise in aggravated assault cases. In 2020, there were 1,663 violent crimes reported in the metro area. This calculation is measured by 789 for every 100,000 people in a population.

Historically, violence is higher in areas where poverty is high and there is limited economic opportunity. SWLA has been dealt one blow after another with COVID-19, two hurricanes, an ice storm, and a flood. This report bears the impact these natural disasters have had on the community finding, 20.4% of the population in Lake Charles lives below the poverty level. In 2020 the unemployment average was 8.9%, compared to the national rate of 12.3%

The data for poverty rates are one-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2019 American Community Survey. As we bring the 2021 year to a close and continue to see a decline in the pandemic, hopefully, we will also see major improvements in these devastating numbers. For more details on this report click here.