Lakewood sheriff monument, 2005
Lakewood’s story
72 years in pictures
Census counts: 67,126 in 1960, 82,496 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 7 maps from 1896 on.
- 1954Lakewood is settled
Photo: Proarte · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
78,010
2025 Census estimate · −5.4% since 2020
Typical home
$872K
+2.6% in a year
Household income
$119K
median
Median age
39.4
years
Jobs based here
17,108
A commuter town
TownGrade
C
#361 of 841 in CA
Is Lakewood a good place to live?
The typical home is worth about $872K, 9.1 years of the Los Angeles metro’s $96K median household income. Overall it grades C, ranked 361st of 841 in California. The median household earns $119K and it is healthier than 81% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 89% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. Lakewood’s rent at the middle of the market is $2,347 a month, above both California’s towns ($1,895 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). On history, just 44 of California’s 1,063 towns do worse. Lakewood's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 87% of U.S. towns.
What makes Lakewood stand out
Where Lakewood beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Lakewood for work
Where Lakewood’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
17,108jobs based in Lakewood
4%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Lakewood grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Lakewood is from typical.
Its grades run from A for jobs and income (better than 85% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 3%), so the C overall blends very different results.
Cost of livingD−Open →Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listDOpen →Jobs & income17,108 jobs based hereAOpen →SafetyC−Open →HealthUCI Health-Lakewood 1.8 miles awayA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 10.9 of 20; 4.3% of households have no carA−Open →SchoolsBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors6 miles of trails; 7% conserved landBOpen →History30 notable people born hereD−Open →Civic life2.9 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 84° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market27 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 39.4; 33% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 271 attractions →Disneyland and 236 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lakewood. Close and well known come first.
Big draw12 mi Theme parkDisneyland17.3M visitors a year
Big draw14 mi Stadium & arenaSoFi Stadium
Big draw22 mi LandmarkHollywood Walk of Fame10.0M visitors a year
Big draw12 mi MuseumUSS Iowa
Big draw15 mi MuseumLucas Museum of Narrative Art
Big draw7 mi Theme parkKnott's Berry Farm4.5M visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Disneyland: HarshLight from San Jose, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 · SoFi Stadium: Thank You (21 Millions+) views, CC BY 2.0 · Hollywood Walk of Fame: BenSherman, Public domain · USS Iowa: PH1 Jeff Hilton, Public domain · Lucas Museum of Narrative Art: Kriddl, CC0 · Knott's Berry Farm: Phydend at English Wikipedia, Public domain
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Lakewood: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lakewood, and how to reach them.
PowerSouthern California Edison31.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLakewood - City, Water Dept.No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpBy addressDay by addressTown site
SchoolsLong Beach Unified School DistrictBellflower Unified School District2 districts serve Lakewood; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereLos Angeles Registrar-Recorder County ClerkLos Angeles County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes90712, 90713, 9071590712 39% · 90713 35% · 90715 25%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Lakewood.
Lakewood has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns and owes part of its health edge to its incomes.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Very high risk in Lakewood, with earthquakes at the top
Expected losses in Lakewood break down as 53% from earthquakes and 46% from inland flooding. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid in 7 declared disasters, most recently in 2025. This California town has had 5 paid flood insurance claims since 1980.
89risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland flooding
5
paid flood claims since 1980
7
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsB
On state tests, Lakewood’s schools beat 58% of California districts
Three of the 23 schools are below, and why each made the list. The 6 public schools in Lakewood teach 3,130 students between them.
58%of CA districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intensive Learning CenterLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 646 | – |
| Mayfair HighLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 2,422 | A+ |
| Palms ElementaryTop results in townGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 463 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
SafetyC−
Lakewood reports more crime per resident than 82% of U.S. towns
Lakewood’s rate of thefts and burglaries comes in at 20.4 per 1,000 residents. Its level of violent crime comes in at 3.6 per 1,000 residents.
18%of U.S. towns report more crimeC−Safety Grade
| Lakewood | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 20.4 per 1,000 residents | 13.3 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.6 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Lakewood3.6
California4.4
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Lakewood20.4
California18.2
U.S.15.5
18th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
28th
percentile among CA towns
276
violent crimes reported in 2025
1,580
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
HealthA−
For health, Lakewood earns an A−
Against the 5,858 U.S. towns with household incomes like Lakewood’s, it is healthier than 58%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
Just over one in ten adults report frequent physical distress in Lakewood. The town does better than the California average on 16 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 1. Among adults locally, 24% have obesity and 19% have been diagnosed with depression.
81%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Lakewood | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 36% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 29% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 22% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 31% | 35% |
32 measures vs. California
16 better15 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Lakewood | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.9% | 10.6% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 8% | 10.6% |
| More lonely adults | 40% | 37.3% |
UCI Health-Lakewood
1.8 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: dental
70th
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
Lakewood has 0.5 jobs per working resident, so most workers leave town for work
The top destinations are Los Angeles (15%), Long Beach (14%) and Anaheim (4%). 5.8% of Lakewood residents live below the poverty line. The median commute is under 12 miles. For Lakewood, the average trip to work is 28 minutes.
4%work in town
| Lakewood | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $119,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 5.8% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.7% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Lakewood4%
Los Angeles15%
Long Beach14%
Anaheim4%
Cerritos3%
12 mi
median commute distance
17,108
jobs based in Lakewood
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 77% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
OutdoorsB
Conserved land covers 6.6% of Lakewood
Rynerson Park, at 34 acres with 1.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Across 14 parks and preserves: 5.7 miles of trail. For Lakewood, the trail density is 0.6 miles per square mile.
#500for trails in CA
| Lakewood | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 6.6% | 4.2% | 4.3% |
6.6%
conserved · 399 of 6,032 acres
5.7 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Rynerson Park | 1.2 mi | 34 |
| 2. West San Gabriel River Parkway Nature Trail | 0.9 mi | 19 |
| 3. Palm Park | 0.6 mi | 19 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
The climate in Lakewood brings mild winters and pleasant summers
January nights average 47°, milder than in 97% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 82.1°.
The July high in Lakewood is 82°F. Snow is a rarity.
84°summer high
| Lakewood | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 47°F | 40°F | 22°F |
| July high | 82°F | 89°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter47–69°
Spring53–73°
Summer62–81°
Fall57–79°
+2.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
84°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade D−
For cost of living, Lakewood earns a D−
A home in Lakewood typically sold within 27 days of listing. Zillow values the typical Lakewood home at about $872,000, up 2.6% in a year, 15% above the California typical home. Bidding over the asking price: 55% of homes sold locally.
$872KZillow home value
| Lakewood | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 71% | 64% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 53% | 55% | 48% |
Typical home value
Lakewood$872K
California$762K
Market temperature
27
days on market
101.2%
sale-to-list price
+2.6%
value change, 1 year
44
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Who lives here
An age mix much like California’s
Since 2020, Lakewood has lost 5.4% of its people, to 78,010 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. Every broad age group is within 4 points of the California average. California has 37% of adults 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or more; here it is 33%. The share of residents in Lakewood who are under 18: 21%.
39.4median age · CA 37.9
| Lakewood | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 21% | 22% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 15% | 16% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 33% | 29% | 29% |
LakewoodCaliforniaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
15%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma10%
High school23%
Some college24%
Associate’s11%
Bachelor’s22%
Graduate10%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1 point. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women. Median age: women 41.1, men 37.5.
| Lakewood | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.4% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.5% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.4% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.8% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.6% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.7% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.6% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.8% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.5% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.4% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.3% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lakewood
20pages on Lakewood
The big questions
SchoolsBBeat 58% of CA districts · 23 schoolsSafetyC−3.6 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthA−Better than CA on 16 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingD−$872K typical home · up 2.6% in a yearWork & commuteA$119K median household income · 17,108 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 89% of U.S. communities · earthquakes
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
42 within 15 miles of the center of Lakewood
Long Beach City CollegeCommunity college · Public · Long Beach1.2 mi$1,556 in-state tuitionFremont UniversityUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Cerritos2 miCalifornia State University-Long BeachUniversity or college · Public · Long Beach4.5 mi$7,350 in-state tuition
About 8 of every 100 Lakewood residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
Famous people from Lakewood
30 notable people were born in Lakewood.
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About Lakewood
City in California, United States
Lakewood is a suburban city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 82,496 at the 2020 census. It is bordered by Long Beach on the west, northwest and south, Bellflower on the north, Cerritos on the northeast, Cypress on the east, and Hawaiian Gardens on the southeast. Major thoroughfares include Lakewood (SR 19), Bellflower, and Del Amo Boulevards and Carson and South Streets. The San Gabriel River Freeway (I-605) runs through the city's eastern regions.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1954
- Area
- 9.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 46 ft
- ZIP code
- 90711, 90712, 90713
- Area code
- 562
Lakewood’s neighbors
6 towns share a border with Lakewood.
Long BeachCerritosHawaiian GardensCypressBellflowerLa PalmaLakewood
How the neighbors grade
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakewood | #361 | C | D− | C− | B | A− |
| Long Beach | #564 | D | D− | D | B | B |
| Cerritos | #247 | C+ | D | D | A− | A |
| Hawaiian Gardens | #490 | C− | D | D | A− | C |
| Cypress | #256 | C+ | D− | C | B | A |
| Bellflower | #609 | D | D− | D | B− | C+ |
| La Palma | #222 | B− | D− | C+ | B+ | A− |
Questions about Lakewood
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lakewood, CA a good place to live?
Lakewood grades C overall, better than 32% of U.S. towns and #361 of 841 in California. It grades A− for health, C− for safety and B for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Lakewood, CA expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
What is Lakewood, CA known for?
30 notable people were born here, including Greg LeMond and Kyle Korver.