Lamium amplexicaule (2008), 2008
Carlyss’s story
Carlyss in pictures
Census counts: 1,806 in 1980, 5,101 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and a map from 1955 on.
Explore the history →CarlyssLA
A town of 4,412. Public schools that outperform most of Louisiana.
Population
4,412
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$173K
Census ACS
Household income
$78K
median
Median age
35.6
years
Jobs based here
2,453
Balanced
TownGrade
B−
#29 of 161 in LA
Is Carlyss a good place to live?
Carlyss grades B− overall, ranked 29th of 161 in Louisiana, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Its schools outperform 81% of the state's. On the other side, FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 86% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. 11% of residents are 65 or older in Carlyss, below both Louisiana’s towns (17%) and U.S. towns (18%). The biggest place to walk is Carlyss Park, 30 acres with 1.5 miles of trail.
What makes Carlyss stand out
Where Carlyss beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
How Carlyss grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Louisiana), ordered by how far Carlyss is from typical.
Hazard riskhurricanes tops the listDOpen →SchoolsA−Open →HealthWest Calcasieu Cameron Hospital 3.8 miles awayCOpen →Jobs & income$78K median household incomeB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.3 of 20; 8.6% of households have no car; 2.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $173K, 2.6 years of the Lake Charles metro’s $67K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Carlyss: who provides what
Carlyss is unincorporated, so Calcasieu Parish and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerJefferson Davis Elec Coop14.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCalcasieu Parish Ww Dist 9 Carlyss water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers75% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesCalcasieu ParishCalcasieu Parish provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Louisiana you can register online until 20 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereCalcasieu Parish Registrar of VotersCalcasieu Parish; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2023
ZIP code7066570665 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Carlyss.
Carlyss has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns and has less tooth loss than most of Louisiana, but it has many renters stretched by housing costs.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Carlyss has a very high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from hurricanes
Carlyss has had 67 paid flood insurance claims since 1979. 46% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from hurricanes, followed by inland flooding at 34%. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid in 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2020.
86risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland floodingTornadoes
67
paid flood claims since 1979
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsA−
Carlyss’ grade for schools is an A−
Its two schools are below. The Calcasieu Parish school district runs its public schools. Public school enrollment in Carlyss: 683 students across 2 schools.
81%of LA districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cypress Cove Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 399 | A− |
| Vincent Settlement Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 284 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within LA on state tests and graduation
HealthC
On CDC estimates, Carlyss is less healthy than 72% of U.S. towns
Its widest gap with Louisiana is tooth loss: 8.3% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 18.1% statewide. Within Louisiana it is healthier than 76% of the 161 graded towns: much of Louisiana scores lower on these measures.
Carlyss: 40% of adults have obesity. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Carlyss is ahead of Louisiana on 9 and behind on 1. Among adults in the town, 29% have been diagnosed with depression and 16% worry about having enough food.
28%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Carlyss | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 27% | 23% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 26% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 44% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Louisiana
9 better22 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Carlyss | LA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.3% | 18.1% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 8.3% | 12.4% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 75.6% | 78.8% |
West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital
3.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
76th
percentile among LA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Expect mild winters and hot summers in Carlyss
January nights average 42.5°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 91.3°.
The January low in Carlyss is 43°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
92°summer high
| Carlyss | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 43°F | 42°F | 22°F |
| July high | 91°F | 92°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter44–64°
Spring59–78°
Summer73–91°
Fall60–80°
Dec 7
typical first frost
Feb 14
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
92°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
About one in three of Carlyss’ working residents commute to Lake Charles
Jobs based here grew from 1,704 in 2013 to 2,453.
4.1% of working residents work locally in Carlyss. Employers in Carlyss added 749 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 2,453. For Carlyss, the average trip to work is 21 minutes. The top destinations are Lake Charles (33%), Sulphur (15%) and Lafayette (2%).
4%work in town
| Carlyss | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 20% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.1% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $78,000 | $56,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Carlyss4%
Lake Charles33%
Sulphur15%
Lafayette2%
Baton Rouge2%
9 mi
median commute distance
2,453
jobs based in Carlyss
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 46% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
Younger than Louisiana overall
For Carlyss, the age of the median resident is 35.6 years. Among adults 25 and older, 18% have a four-year degree or more, against 27% across Louisiana.
35.6median age · LA 38
CarlyssLouisianaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
19%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma18%
High school29%
Some college20%
Associate’s16%
Bachelor’s8%
Graduate11%
Women and men · all residents
66% women, 34% men
About 51 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±6.8 points). Across Louisiana, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Carlyss | LA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 18.7% | 12.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.5% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.4% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.2% | 13.3% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.9% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.9% | 11.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.9% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 5.3% | 10.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.2% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 17.6% | 12.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.5% | 32.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.7% | 20.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 16% | 7.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 7.6% | 17% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.5% | 10.1% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,400, single groups can be off by several points
OutdoorsC−
In Carlyss, 0.4% of the land is conserved
Count the trails in 1 park or preserve and they come to 2.0 miles. The concentration of trails for Carlyss comes to 0.2 miles per square mile.
#61for trails in LA
| Carlyss | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.4% | 1.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
0.4%
conserved · 30 of 7,082 acres
2.0 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Carlyss Park | 1.5 mi | 30 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade B−
Homes in Carlyss sell for about $226K
94.4% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 54.8% across Louisiana.
Carlyss’ rent at the middle of the market is $1,358 a month. The share of households in Carlyss who own their home: 74%.
$226Kmedian sale price
| Carlyss | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,358 a month | $989 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 74% | 68% | 73% |
3
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Carlyss
17pages on Carlyss
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Carlyss
McNeese State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Lake Charles9.1 mi$8,489 in-state tuitionSOWELA Technical Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Lake Charles12.7 mi$4,305 in-state tuition
About 9 of every 100 Carlyss residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Louisiana.
About Carlyss
Census-designated place in Louisiana, United States
Carlyss (pronounced ‘car-liss’) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,101 in 2020. It is part of the Lake Charles metropolitan statistical area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 12 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,001 ft
Carlyss’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Carlyss.
SulphurCarlyss
How the neighbors grade
Carlyss reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Carlyss with a neighbor →
Questions about Carlyss
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Carlyss, LA a good place to live?
Carlyss grades B− overall, better than 50% of U.S. towns and #29 of 161 in Louisiana. It grades C for health and A− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Carlyss, LA expensive?
The typical home is worth about $173,000, 19% below the Louisiana typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.