Alameda vs Lakewood
The short version
- Lakewood is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 2% lower than in the Alameda area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $827,200 in Lakewood and $1,235,700 in Alameda.
- Households earn more in Alameda ($137,697 vs $119,177 median).
- Lakewood has the warmer winter: January highs of 67°F vs 58°F.
- Alameda is growing faster: -1.8% since 2020 vs -5.4%.
- Commutes are shorter in Lakewood (28 vs 32 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Alameda, CA | Lakewood, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 76,876 | 78,010 |
| Growth since 2020 | -1.8% | -5.4% |
| People per square mile | 7,393 | 8,304 |
| Median age | 41.0 | 39.4 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 62% | 33% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $137,697 | $119,177 |
| Median home value | $1,235,700 | $827,200 |
| Home value to income | 9.0× | 6.9× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,474 | $2,347 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 115.6 | 113.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 194.7 | 170.4 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $86,700 | $85,200 |
| Homeowners | 51% | 71% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 31.6 | 28.4 |
| Work from home | 33% | 13% |
| Take public transit | 10% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.7% | 5.2% |
| Poverty rate | 7.2% | 5.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 58° / 42° | 67° / 47° |
| July high / low | 72° / 56° | 77° / 62° |
| Precipitation per year | 19 in | 14 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 6 | 6 |
| Nights below freezing | 2 | 0 |
| Comfortable months | 9 | 12 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.8 | 100.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | n/a | 11% |
| Home prices, past year | -4.8% | +1.2% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +8.2% | +31.9% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Alameda: March to November. Lakewood: January to December.
Full monthly tables: Alameda weather by month and Lakewood weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $86,700 in Alameda and $85,200 in Lakewood. Moving from Alameda to Lakewood, you would need about $73,700 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Alameda and Lakewood
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Alameda and Lakewood.
Which would you pick?
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