Lake Charles, LA: 2-bedroom payment standards across 22 ZIP codes
HUD's FY2026 Small Area Fair Market Rents for Lake Charles, LA HUD Metro FMR Area range from $1,030 to $1,550 for a 2-bedroom. The 90th-percentile ZIP code runs 1.35× the 10th — a gap of $364 a month — which ranks 131th widest of the 247 HUD metro areas we compare.
median 2-bedroom SAFMR across the area's 22 ZIP codes. Where a housing authority sets a single metro-wide standard, it could reach $1,293 at 110%.
monthly gap between the 90th- and 10th-percentile ZIP code ($1,030 to $1,394).
of the area's ZIP codes (4 of 22) sit above $1,293 — 110% of the area median.
Highest-rent ZIP codes in Lake Charles, LA
Every ZIP code, ranked
The payment-standard column is HUD's published 90–110% band for that ZIP code — the range a housing authority may adopt without HUD approval. Your PHA sets the exact figure. The final column compares each ZIP to the area median; ZIP codes marked above 110% exceed 110% of that median — where a housing authority sets a single area-wide standard, those sit above the highest ceiling basic policy reaches.
| # | ZIP code | 2 BR SAFMR ▾ | Payment standard (90–110%) | vs area median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 70665 | $1,550 | $1,395–$1,705 | above 110% |
| 2 | 70605 | $1,520 | $1,368–$1,672 | above 110% |
| 3 | 70645 | $1,400 | $1,260–$1,540 | above 110% |
| 4 | 70609 | $1,340 | $1,206–$1,474 | above 110% |
| 5 | 70602 | $1,220 | $1,098–$1,342 | 104% |
| 6 | 70606 | $1,220 | $1,098–$1,342 | 104% |
| 7 | 70612 | $1,220 | $1,098–$1,342 | 104% |
| 8 | 70616 | $1,220 | $1,098–$1,342 | 104% |
| 9 | 70629 | $1,220 | $1,098–$1,342 | 104% |
| 10 | 70664 | $1,220 | $1,098–$1,342 | 104% |
| 11 | 70615 | $1,200 | $1,080–$1,320 | 102% |
| 12 | 70607 | $1,150 | $1,035–$1,265 | 98% |
| 13 | 70631 | $1,130 | $1,017–$1,243 | 96% |
| 14 | 70669 | $1,120 | $1,008–$1,232 | 95% |
| 15 | 70601 | $1,070 | $963–$1,177 | 91% |
| 16 | 70663 | $1,070 | $963–$1,177 | 91% |
| 17 | 70668 | $1,060 | $954–$1,166 | 90% |
| 18 | 70630 | $1,050 | $945–$1,155 | 89% |
| 19 | 70542 | $1,030 | $927–$1,133 | 88% |
| 20 | 70632 | $1,030 | $927–$1,133 | 88% |
| 21 | 70643 | $1,030 | $927–$1,133 | 88% |
| 22 | 70646 | $1,030 | $927–$1,133 | 88% |
How Lake Charles, LA compares
Its internal spread of 1.35× (p90 ÷ p10) ranks 131 of 247 HUD metro FMR areas, against a median of 1.37× and a national high of 1.77×. On the steadier p75 ÷ p25 measure it is 1.15×. Note that this area's 90th or 10th percentile lands exactly on its highest or lowest ZIP code, so a single ZIP is carrying the p90/p10 figure — the p75/p25 measure is the better read here. See the full ranking and how it was measured →
A note on what this does not mean: a higher payment standard does not increase the assistance a household receives. It raises the ceiling on the rent a voucher can cover, while the household still pays roughly 30% of adjusted income. Figures are ZIP-weighted, not renter-weighted, and rest on 2019–2023 American Community Survey data trended forward.