City comparison
Lakewood, NJ is about 40 miles (70 km) from Newark, NJ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 50 miles, or about 54 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, NJ to Newark, NJ 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.
Newark has a population of 307,355, vs 68,555 in Lakewood — about 4.5× larger by population. By land area, Newark covers about 24 sq mi vs 7.1 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 | Newark | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,619/mo | $1,273/mo | 27.2% higher in Lakewood |
| Median home value | $604,600 | $312,300 | 93.6% higher in Lakewood |
| Median household income | $54,826 | $46,460 | 18.0% higher in Lakewood |
| Groceries index | 107.2 | 109.6 | 2.2% higher in Newark |
| Utilities index | 121.4 | 128.8 | 6.1% higher in Newark |
| Transportation index | 103.3 | 105.4 | 2.0% higher in Newark |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 105.3 | 1.2% higher in Newark |
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 $101,474 in Newark to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Lakewood, NJ is about 1.5% cheaper overall than Newark, NJ, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Lakewood, you'd need about $81,179 in Newark to keep the same standard of living.