City comparison
Lakewood, WA is about 10 miles (10 km) from Tacoma, WA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 9 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, WA to Tacoma, WA takes about 1 min, covering roughly 10 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.
Tacoma has a population of 219,234, vs 63,142 in Lakewood — about 3.5× larger by population. By land area, Tacoma covers about 50 sq mi vs 17 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 | Tacoma | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,318/mo | $1,489/mo | 13.0% higher in Tacoma |
| Median home value | $406,500 | $415,300 | 2.2% higher in Tacoma |
| Median household income | $65,531 | $79,085 | 20.7% higher in Tacoma |
| Groceries index | 104.0 | 103.0 | 0.9% higher in Lakewood |
| Utilities index | 95.7 | 92.5 | 3.5% higher in Lakewood |
| Transportation index | 106.6 | 108.1 | 1.3% higher in Tacoma |
| Healthcare index | 106.6 | 108.8 | 2.0% higher in Tacoma |
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 $100,491 in Tacoma to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Lakewood, WA is about 0.5% cheaper overall than Tacoma, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Lakewood, you'd need about $80,392 in Tacoma to keep the same standard of living.