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 New Jersey, 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 136, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Lakewood is 1.4x higher than the national average.
Lakewood ranks as the #157 cheapest in New Jersey out of 251.
Lakewood ranks as the #5,458 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Lakewood is $519,500.
The median income in Lakewood is $52,222.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Lakewood has an overall cost of living index of 136, which is 1.4x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to New Jersey, Lakewood has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than New Jersey's index of 111.
The standard of living in Lakewood ranks as #157 most affordable out of the 251 places we measured in New Jersey. By definition, that implies Lakewood ranks as the #94 most expensive place in the Garden 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 114.
The Groceries index in Lakewood is 108.
The Health index in Lakewood is 102.
The Housing index in Lakewood is 198.
The Transportation index in Lakewood is 107.
The Utilities index in Lakewood is 103.
Living Expense | Lakewood | New Jersey | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 136 | 111 | 100 | |
Services | 114 | 104 | 100 | |
Groceries | 108 | 104 | 100 | |
Health | 102 | 95 | 100 | |
Housing | 198 | 130 | 100 | |
Transportation | 107 | 106 | 100 | |
Utilities | 103 | 108 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in New Jersey, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Lakewood is $519,500.
The Median Rent in Lakewood is $1,531.
The Median Income in Lakewood is $52,222.
The Home Value To Income in Lakewood is 9.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Lakewood is 0.35x.
Statistic | Lakewood | New Jersey | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $519,500 | $355,700 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,531 | $1,436 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $52,222 | $89,703 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 9.9x | 4.0x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.35x | 0.19x | 0.2x |
Item | Lakewood | New Jersey |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.03 | $1.06 |
Movie | $12.59 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $17.73 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $20.73 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $36.4 | $39.05 |
Item | Lakewood | New Jersey |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $3.87 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.67 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.41 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.09 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $11.4 | $10.62 |
Beer | $9.19 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.16 | $2.34 |
Item | Lakewood | New Jersey |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $101.33 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $94.5 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $113.15 | $99.13 |
Item | Lakewood | New Jersey |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.26 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $56.66 | $50.07 |
Item | Lakewood | New Jersey |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $174.26 | $167.67 |
Phone | $179.87 | $175.64 |
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:
Toms River, NJ has a cost of living index of 118, 0.9x Lakewood.
Tinton Falls, NJ has a cost of living index of 126, 0.9x Lakewood.
West Freehold, NJ has a cost of living index of 136, 1.0x Lakewood.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Lakewood |
---|---|---|---|
Toms River, NJ | 91,798 | 118 | 0.9x |
Tinton Falls, NJ | 19,053 | 126 | 0.9x |
West Freehold, NJ | 14,565 | 136 | 1.0x |
Freehold, NJ | 12,485 | 119 | 0.9x |
Pine Lake Park, NJ | 9,148 | 117 | 0.9x |
Twin Rivers, NJ | 8,049 | 114 | 0.8x |
Yorketown, NJ | 7,316 | 144 | 1.1x |
Lincroft, NJ | 6,812 | 139 | 1.0x |
Ramtown, NJ | 6,540 | 128 | 0.9x |
Little Silver, NJ | 6,103 | 178 | 1.3x |