City comparison
Lakewood, NJ is about 175 miles (275 km) from Washington, DC in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 225 miles, or about 3 h 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, NJ to Washington, DC takes about 20 min, covering roughly 175 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.
Washington has a population of 670,587, vs 68,555 in Lakewood — about 9.8× larger by population. By land area, Washington covers about 61 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 | Washington | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,619/mo | $1,817/mo | 12.2% higher in Washington |
| Median home value | $604,600 | $705,000 | 16.6% higher in Washington |
| Median household income | $54,826 | $101,722 | 85.5% higher in Washington |
| Groceries index | 107.2 | 104.6 | 2.5% higher in Lakewood |
| Utilities index | 121.4 | 105.0 | 15.7% higher in Lakewood |
| Transportation index | 103.3 | 101.2 | 2.0% higher in Lakewood |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 101.5 | 2.6% 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 $100,106 in Washington to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Lakewood and Washington have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 5% higher in Washington than in Lakewood. If you earn $80,000 in Lakewood, you'd need about $80,085 in Washington to keep the same standard of living.