City comparison
Lakewood, NJ is about 250 miles (375 km) from Lawrence, MA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 300 miles, or about 5 h 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, NJ to Lawrence, MA takes about 29 min, covering roughly 250 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.
Lawrence has a population of 88,067, vs 68,555 in Lakewood — about 1.3× larger by population. By land area, Lakewood covers about 7.1 sq mi vs 6.9 sq mi for Lawrence.
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 | Lawrence | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,619/mo | $1,502/mo | 7.8% higher in Lakewood |
| Median home value | $604,600 | $370,600 | 63.1% higher in Lakewood |
| Median household income | $54,826 | $53,977 | 1.6% higher in Lakewood |
| Groceries index | 107.2 | 99.4 | 7.9% higher in Lakewood |
| Utilities index | 121.4 | 141.1 | 16.2% higher in Lawrence |
| Transportation index | 103.3 | 102.9 | ≈ equal (Lakewood slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 103.7 | ≈ equal (Lakewood slightly higher) |
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 $99,886 in Lawrence to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Lakewood and Lawrence have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Lakewood, you'd need about $79,909 in Lawrence to keep the same standard of living.