City comparison
Lakewood, NJ is about 50 miles (80 km) from Philadelphia, PA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 60 miles, or about 1 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 Philadelphia, PA takes about 6 min, covering roughly 50 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.
Philadelphia has a population of 1,593,208, vs 68,555 in Lakewood — about 23.2× larger by population. By land area, Philadelphia covers about 135 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 | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,619/mo | $1,250/mo | 29.5% higher in Lakewood |
| Median home value | $604,600 | $215,500 | 180.6% higher in Lakewood |
| Median household income | $54,826 | $57,537 | 4.9% higher in Philadelphia |
| Groceries index | 107.2 | 97.0 | 10.5% higher in Lakewood |
| Utilities index | 121.4 | 112.3 | 8.1% higher in Lakewood |
| Transportation index | 103.3 | 101.7 | 1.5% higher in Lakewood |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 102.7 | 1.4% 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 $86,510 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 13.5% cheaper overall than Lakewood, NJ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 29% higher in Lakewood than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in Lakewood, you'd need about $69,208 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.