Carlyss, Louisiana

Community in Calcasieu Parish · population 5,101 (2020 Census)

Median home: $173,200
Household income: $78,179
Jan low / Jul high: 43° / 92°
Snow a year: 0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 42
Median age: 35.6

Carlyss is a community of 5,101 people in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. The median home is worth $173,200, close to the typical Louisiana town ($166,450). It ranks better transit than 98% of Louisiana towns, more upscale than 77% of Louisiana towns.

Carlyss in our rankings:

#12 in The 25 Most Affordable Small Towns in Louisiana

How Carlyss ranks

Percentile among Louisiana towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Louisiana towns.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Carlyss is worth $173,200, close to the typical Louisiana town ($166,450). Homes cost about 2.2 times the median household income of $78,179, which is more affordable than 85% of Louisiana towns. Median rent is $1,358 a month. 74.2% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Louisiana towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Carlyss	Typical Louisiana town
Median home value	$173,200	$166,450
Median rent	$1,358	$887
Median household income	$78,179	$52,134
Home value ÷ income	2.2×	3.0×
Homeownership	74.2%	70.4%
Median year built	2006	1979
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.0%	—

Who lives in Carlyss

People	Carlyss	Typical Louisiana town
Median age	35.6	38.4
Age 65 and over	10.5%	17.0%
Under 18	28.2%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	18.2%	15.8%
Below the poverty line	16.1%	20.4%
Veterans	6.6%	—
Born outside the U.S.	0.8%	—
Work from home	1.3%	4.7%
Average commute	20.7 min	25.8 min
Homes with broadband	76.7%	84.6%

Weather in Carlyss

July highs average 92.2°F and January lows 43.4°F. About 59.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical Louisiana town: 0.0 in). Expect about 88 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 11 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Lake Charles station (9.9 mi away); snow from Lake Charles Port (7.6 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

42 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Carlyss since 1950, compared with 27 for the typical Louisiana town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on May 13, 2024 about 4.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on February 14, 2026.

NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 44 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on May 9, 2019.

Severe weather in Calcasieu Parish since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Calcasieu Parish, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 7 deaths recorded.

Calcasieu Parish has been included in 42 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
January 24, 2026	Winter Storm	EM-3638: Severe Winter Storm
September 10, 2024	Hurricane	EM-3614: Tropical Storm Francine
September 13, 2021	Coastal Storm	EM-3574: Tropical Storm Nicholas
August 29, 2021	Hurricane	DR-4611: Hurricane Ida
August 27, 2021	Hurricane	EM-3568: Tropical Storm Ida

Jobs and pay in Calcasieu Parish

Calcasieu Parish had 88,649 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $61,711 a year. Unemployment was 3.4% in 2023; in Carlyss itself the ACS puts it at 0.1%.

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.

Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Carlyss

Sulphur, LA
3.7 mi · 21,809 people · home $182,900
Prien, LA
6.0 mi · 7,745 people · home $278,000
Westlake, LA
8.6 mi · 4,781 people · home $166,100
Lake Charles, LA
9.6 mi · 84,872 people · home $214,300
Vinton, LA
12.8 mi · 3,400 people · home $106,800
Moss Bluff, LA
13.3 mi · 12,522 people · home $252,900
DeQuincy, LA
19.3 mi · 3,144 people · home $124,500
Iowa, LA
21.8 mi · 3,436 people · home $249,200

Carlyss questions

Is Carlyss, Louisiana a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Carlyss scores better for retirees than 8% of Louisiana towns and quieter than 42%. 10.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 35.6).

How much does a house cost in Carlyss?

The median owner-occupied home in Carlyss is valued at $173,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $78,179, so homes cost about 2.2 times income. Median rent is $1,358 a month.

What is the weather like in Carlyss?

July highs average 92.2°F and January lows 43.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 59.8 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does Carlyss get tornadoes?

42 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Carlyss since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on May 13, 2024. The typical Louisiana town has had 27.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Carlyss's Census boundary (GEOID 2212840). Comparisons use the median of Louisiana towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.