El Cajon vs Lakewood
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $681,700 in El Cajon and $827,200 in Lakewood.
- Households earn more in Lakewood ($119,177 vs $67,511 median).
- El Cajon has more scorching days: 57 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 6.
- Commutes are shorter in El Cajon (25 vs 28 minutes each way).
Side by side
| El Cajon, CA | Lakewood, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 101,755 | 78,010 |
| Growth since 2020 | -4.2% | -5.4% |
| People per square mile | 7,013 | 8,304 |
| Median age | 36.1 | 39.4 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23% | 33% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $67,511 | $119,177 |
| Median home value | $681,700 | $827,200 |
| Home value to income | 10.1× | 6.9× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,856 | $2,347 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 111.9 | 113.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 179.3 | 170.4 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $83,900 | $85,200 |
| Homeowners | 42% | 71% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 24.8 | 28.4 |
| Work from home | 11% | 13% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 9.6% | 5.2% |
| Poverty rate | 20.5% | 5.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 69° / 43° | 67° / 47° |
| July high / low | 86° / 63° | 77° / 62° |
| Precipitation per year | 12 in | 14 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 57 | 6 |
| Nights below freezing | 2 | 0 |
| Comfortable months | 8 | 12 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.7 | 100.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 18% | 11% |
| Home prices, past year | +2.5% | +1.2% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +40.8% | +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: El Cajon: January to June and October to November. Lakewood: January to December.
Full monthly tables: El Cajon 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 $83,900 in El Cajon and $85,200 in Lakewood. Moving from El Cajon to Lakewood, you would need about $76,100 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between El Cajon 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 El Cajon and Lakewood.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.