Lakewood, WA
Census place 5338038 · pop 62,937
Sales & income are statewide. No wage income tax (a capital-gains excise applies).
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
47.5% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
99/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
19.4% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
29 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.47 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$461,200 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
39.0% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
23.2% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
4.1% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
11.7% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
13.2% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
44 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
13.3% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$74,720 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
91.8% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.94% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,671/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
23.0% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+4.7% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
1 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
Not measured for Lakewood: Crime, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Lakewood, WA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Lakewood scores 37/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is unhealthy air days and its weakest is homeownership. Washington overall ranks #24 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Lakewood, WA expensive to live in?
- Lakewood has a median home value of $461,200 and typical rent around $1,671/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Lakewood, WA?
- Its weakest measured area is homeownership (47.5%) — 11/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Lakewood, WA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is unhealthy air days (1 days) — 62/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.