City comparison
Lakewood, CA is about 20 miles (40 km) from Santa Monica, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 30 miles, or about 30 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 Monica, CA takes about 3 min, covering roughly 20 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 Monica has a population of 92,168, vs 81,499 in Lakewood — about 1.1× larger by population. By land area, Lakewood covers about 9.4 sq mi vs 8.4 sq mi for Santa Monica.
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 Monica | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,233/mo | $2,227/mo | 0.3% higher in Lakewood |
| Median home value | $695,200 | $1,654,800 | 138.0% higher in Santa Monica |
| Median household income | $113,030 | $106,797 | 5.8% higher in Lakewood |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 106.4 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 155.6 | 155.6 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 104.4 | 104.4 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 104.3 | ≈ equal |
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 $99,985 in Santa Monica to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Lakewood and Santa Monica have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Lakewood, you'd need about $79,988 in Santa Monica to keep the same standard of living.