City comparison
Lakewood, CA is about 40 miles (70 km) from Santa Clarita, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 60 miles, or about 56 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Lakewood, CA to Santa Clarita, CA takes about 5 min, covering roughly 40 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Santa Clarita has a population of 225,850, vs 81,499 in Lakewood — about 2.8× larger by population. By land area, Santa Clarita covers about 74 sq mi vs 9.4 sq mi for Lakewood.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Lakewood | Santa Clarita | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,233/mo | $2,315/mo | 3.7% higher in Santa Clarita |
| Median home value | $695,200 | $669,200 | 3.9% higher in Lakewood |
| Median household income | $113,030 | $116,186 | 2.8% higher in Santa Clarita |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 106.1 | ≈ equal (Lakewood slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 155.6 | 154.4 | 0.8% higher in Lakewood |
| Transportation index | 104.4 | 103.5 | 0.8% higher in Lakewood |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 103.5 | 0.8% higher in Lakewood |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Lakewood, you'd need $99,905 in Santa Clarita to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Lakewood and Santa Clarita have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Lakewood, you'd need about $79,924 in Santa Clarita to keep the same standard of living.