City comparison
Lakewood, CO is about 550 miles (900 km) from Phoenix, AZ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 700 miles, or about 12 hours 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, CO to Phoenix, AZ takes about 1 h 9 min, covering roughly 550 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.
Phoenix has a population of 1,609,456, vs 156,149 in Lakewood — about 10.3× larger by population. By land area, Phoenix covers about 520 sq mi vs 43 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 | Phoenix | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,665/mo | $1,322/mo | 25.9% higher in Lakewood |
| Median home value | $494,100 | $340,200 | 45.2% higher in Lakewood |
| Median household income | $82,786 | $72,092 | 14.8% higher in Lakewood |
| Groceries index | 101.2 | 95.8 | 5.6% higher in Lakewood |
| Utilities index | 91.2 | 96.2 | 5.5% higher in Phoenix |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 104.1 | 4.2% higher in Phoenix |
| Healthcare index | 99.9 | 104.0 | 4.2% higher in Phoenix |
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 $91,537 in Phoenix to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Phoenix, AZ is about 8.5% cheaper overall than Lakewood, CO, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 22% higher in Lakewood than in Phoenix. If you earn $80,000 in Lakewood, you'd need about $73,230 in Phoenix to keep the same standard of living.