What it's like to live in Lakewood
Lakewood is a smaller city in California with household incomes running above the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Lakewood deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- Shrinking population
- High student-teacher ratio
How Lakewood compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Lakewood
Based on Lakewood's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,694
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $93,880 a year
- 51% of Lakewood renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$165,440
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $82,720
- Homes cost 6.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 66% above US
$2,347/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,347 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $827,200. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $827,200 · 51% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 19% above US
5.1% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.1%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
SafetyNear US average
356 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 2051/100k · Lakewood Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
28 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 28.4 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 80°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 47°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 2.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
33% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 33% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
21 public schools inside the boundary
There are 21 public schools inside the boundary and 4 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 22:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (41 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Lakewood's strongest point is household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,347/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Lakewood
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