Cost of Living
per year
per month
How Lakewood's prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
How far does your salary go in Lakewood?
Your $100,000 in Lakewood has the same purchasing power as $111,982 in the average US city. You'd need $11,982 less here to maintain that standard of living.
Demographics and workforce data from the US Census ACS 5-Year.
bachelor's or higher
Climate, safety, and walkability indicators.
See a side-by-side breakdown of cost of living, housing, and salaries.
Popular comparisons
Sorted by affordability — most affordable first.
Within 10 points of Lakewood's cost index of 89, sorted by closest match.
Wondering whether you should move to Lakewood? It depends on what you're optimizing for, but the city has real arguments in its favor: your dollar carries more weight here and crime statistics come out reassuring, plus 4 more things worth knowing. The data behind each is below.
Lakewood sits at 89 on the composite cost-of-living index — about 11% under the national average. Not the cheapest place in the country, but enough of a discount to notice on rent and groceries every month. Median rent in town runs about $941/mo against a typical household income of $63,299, which is the kind of ratio that leaves room to save.
Lakewood reports roughly 1,509 crime incidents per 100,000 residents, well under the US average of about 3,500 per 100k. As always, citywide numbers paper over real differences between neighborhoods — but the broader trend here is on the calmer end of the US distribution.
Lakewood earns a Walk Score of 74/100 — above the US median, with denser neighborhoods scoring higher than the citywide aggregate suggests. A car is still useful for longer trips, but everyday life works on foot for a lot of residents.
Lakewood's Bike Score is 66/100 — the kind of number you only get when a city has built real bike infrastructure (protected lanes, connected routes, drivers who expect cyclists). For commuting or just for getting around, the bike is a serious option here, not a hobby.
The average one-way commute in Lakewood is about 24 minutes — short by US standards (the national average is closer to 27). Over a year of working days, that's hundreds of hours that don't get spent in traffic, which is the kind of thing you notice in the weekend rather than the weekday.
51% of adults 25 and over in Lakewood hold a bachelor's degree or higher — meaningfully above the US average of around 36%. That correlates with the things you'd expect: stronger schools, more white-collar employers, more bookstores than the population alone would predict.
Reasons are pulled from Lakewood's actual data — Census ACS, BLS, BEA, NOAA, EPA AQS, FBI, and Walk Score. We don't list positives that aren't supported by the numbers, which is why different cities show different sections.
Yes — and a lot of it. With winter averages near 25°F, Lakewood sees real accumulation most years. Salt for the steps, tires that handle ice, and a sense of humor about February are the usual costs of admission.
Cold enough to plan around. Winter in Lakewood averages roughly 25°F, with stretches where daytime highs don't break freezing for weeks. Decent insulation, a real coat, and a car that starts in cold weather are non-negotiable.
Hot, but not desert-hot. Summer in Lakewood runs about 82°F on average, with afternoons in the 90s and humidity that varies by region. AC is standard rather than optional.
Lakewood falls in roughly USDA Zone 7. The zone classification is based on average annual minimum temperatures, so it's the right lookup for whether perennials and trees will overwinter here. Note that this is approximate from our winter-temperature data — check the USDA map for the exact zone before betting an expensive plant on it.
Lakewood is at about 699 feet (213 m) above sea level. High enough to be solidly above any coastal concern, low enough that altitude isn't a factor.
By the numbers, yes. Lakewood reports roughly 1,509 crime incidents per 100,000 residents — well under the US average of about 3,500 per 100k. The big caveat applies as always: every city has neighborhoods that look nothing like the citywide average. But the citywide average here is genuinely good.
No — your dollar actually goes further here. Lakewood's composite cost-of-living index is 89, roughly 11% under the US average. Housing is usually the biggest driver of the discount.
Yes — Lakewood is one of the more walkable US cities. A Walk Score of 74/100 means most daily errands can be done on foot in most neighborhoods. Transit Score is 42 out of 100. Many residents go car-free comfortably.
Roughly $62,510 a year would match the lifestyle of someone earning $70,000 in an average US city. That's a starting point, not a target — negotiate higher when you can. Median rent in Lakewood runs about $941/mo — keeping housing under 30% of gross income points to a similar floor on what you'd want to earn.