Cost of living in Lakewood research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Lakewood is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in California, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Lakewood is 164, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Lakewood is 1.6x higher than the national average.
Lakewood ranks as the #400 cheapest in California out of 634.
Lakewood ranks as the #5,968 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Lakewood is $852,670.
The median income in Lakewood is $116,794.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Lakewood has an overall cost of living index of 164, which is 1.6x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Lakewood has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Lakewood ranks as #400 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Lakewood ranks as the #234 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Lakewood, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Lakewood. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Lakewood is 113.
The Groceries index in Lakewood is 112.
The Health index in Lakewood is 101.
The Housing index in Lakewood is 285.
The Transportation index in Lakewood is 125.
The Utilities index in Lakewood is 93.
| Living Expense | Lakewood | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 164 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 113 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 112 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 101 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 285 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 125 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 93 | 128 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in California, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Lakewood is $852,670.
The Median Rent in Lakewood is $2,324.
The Median Income in Lakewood is $116,794.
The Home Value To Income in Lakewood is 7.3x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Lakewood is 0.24x.
| Statistic | Lakewood | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $852,670 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,324 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $116,794 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 7.3x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.24x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Lakewood | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.34 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $11.04 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $21.11 | $18 |
| Haircut | $27.27 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $41.78 | $45.56 |
| Item | Lakewood | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.89 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $3.49 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.92 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.92 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $15.31 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.26 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.61 | $3.7 |
| Item | Lakewood | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $112.92 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $95.5 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $117.28 | $113.29 |
| Item | Lakewood | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.75 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $61.38 | $59.92 |
| Item | Lakewood | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $378.97 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $180.31 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Lakewood. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Long Beach, CA has a cost of living index of 158, 1.0x Lakewood.
Norwalk, CA has a cost of living index of 149, 0.9x Lakewood.
Bellflower, CA has a cost of living index of 147, 0.9x Lakewood.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Lakewood |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Beach, CA | 458,491 | 158 | 1.0x |
| Norwalk, CA | 100,713 | 149 | 0.9x |
| Bellflower, CA | 77,396 | 147 | 0.9x |
| Paramount, CA | 52,546 | 140 | 0.9x |
| Placentia, CA | 52,384 | 169 | 1.0x |
| Cypress, CA | 49,531 | 172 | 1.0x |
| Cerritos, CA | 48,340 | 181 | 1.1x |
| La Mirada, CA | 46,945 | 163 | 1.0x |
| North Tustin, CA | 26,038 | 204 | 1.2x |
| West Puente Valley, CA | 22,198 | 151 | 0.9x |