Short answer: Lakewood in four numbers
- $872,068: Zillow's typical home value in September 2026, a record high, up 2.6% in a year and 83.2% in ten years.
- $3,401 a month: Zillow's observed rent in September 2026, up 5.7% in a year.
- 1957: the median year built of Lakewood's 26,867 homes (Census, 2020-2024). More than half were built in the 1950s.
- 36 days: Redfin's median time on market in the three months to September 2026, with 47.8% of homes selling above list.
Lakewood covers 9.5 square miles in southeast Los Angeles County, about 23 miles from downtown Los Angeles, and had an estimated 77,359 residents in January 2024 according to the state Department of Finance, as reported by the city. It was built as one of the country's first large planned postwar suburbs: about 17,500 homes went up between 1950 and 1953.
Pros of living in Lakewood
Pro: Lakewood home values have held up
Zillow's typical home value reached $872,068 in September 2026, the highest on record for the city, and was up 18.5% over five years. Redfin's median sale price was $893,574 in the three months to September 2026, up 1.9%. For owners, that is a long record of steady gains in a market with very little new supply.
Pro: Lakewood sits mid-range among its neighbors
On Zillow's September 2026 values, Lakewood ($872,068) costs less than Cerritos ($1,086,261) and about the same as Downey ($879,552), and more than Long Beach ($852,391) and Bellflower ($793,206). On Redfin's three-month figures the order is similar: Cerritos $1,162,946, Long Beach $909,567, Lakewood $893,574, Downey $874,584 and Bellflower $827,106.
Pro: Lakewood parks and pools in every part of the city
The city runs ten parks and two community centers on about 150 acres of park and open space. Mayfair Park at Clark Avenue and South Street has been the flagship since 1951 and has a public pool; Bolivar Park at Del Amo Boulevard and Downey Avenue has McCormick Pool; Rynerson Park has 40 acres with walking trails, Little League diamonds and a bike trail head on the San Gabriel River. Monte Verde Park has a nature trail and amphitheater.
Pro: Lakewood Center and everyday shopping
Lakewood Center, at Lakewood and Del Amo boulevards, has more than 225 retailers, including Macy's, JCPenney, Target, Costco, Home Depot and Best Buy, plus a 16-screen cinema. It opened in 1951 and 1952 alongside the first tracts, and the city's farmers market is at Del Amo Boulevard and Clark Avenue.
Pro: Lakewood is mostly owner-occupied and settled
Census figures show 71.4% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and 91.7% of residents lived in the same house a year earlier. Only 2.4% of housing units were vacant.
Pro: Lakewood freeway access
The San Gabriel River Freeway (I-605) runs through the eastern part of the city, and Lakewood Center sits near the 91, 605 and 405 freeways. That puts Long Beach, Orange County and the Gateway Cities within a short drive.
Pro: Lakewood has city water, tree-lined streets and county services
The city runs its own water utility for most homes, maintains more than 36,000 street and park trees, and says all 143 miles of residential and arterial streets had been repaved by 2012. It contracts with Los Angeles County for law enforcement, the model it pioneered in 1954.
Pro: Lakewood school choices across four districts
Long Beach, Bellflower, ABC and Paramount unified districts all serve parts of the city. On the 2025 California School Dashboard, Lakewood High, Mayfair High and Artesia High each graduated more than 93% of students, against 87.8% statewide. See Lakewood schools for school-by-school results.
Pro: Lakewood homes sell quickly
Redfin's figures show 54.4% of Lakewood homes going under contract within two weeks of listing and just 2.0 months of supply in the three months to September 2026. If you need to sell later, demand has been reliable.
Cons of living in Lakewood
Con: the price of entry in Lakewood
At Freddie Mac's 7.24% rate (week of October 29, 2026), 20% down on the Redfin median of $893,574 is $178,715, and the monthly principal and interest is about $4,872, plus about $745 in base property tax before insurance. That is beyond many local incomes; see the salary section below.
Con: Lakewood houses are old
The Census median year built is 1957, and 68.2% of homes were built before 1960. Original plumbing, electrical panels, single-pane windows and unbraced foundations are common unless a previous owner replaced them. Budget for upgrades and get a full inspection.
Con: small houses and few alternatives in Lakewood
About 80% of homes are detached single-family houses, and many keep the smaller footprints of the 1950s tracts. Condos and townhomes make up a small share and cluster east of the river. If you want a large new house or a low-maintenance condo, choice is thin; see our Lakewood condo guide.
Con: competition for Lakewood listings
Only 78 homes were on the market at the end of September 2026 (Redfin), and nearly half sold above list. Buyers often lose a first or second offer. Pre-approval and quick decisions matter.
Con: Lakewood is car-dependent
Census figures show 1.0% of Lakewood workers commute by public transit and 0.9% walk; the mean commute is 28.4 minutes, and 8.4% of commuters travel an hour or more. Most errands need a car.
Con: Lakewood rent has risen fast
Zillow's observed rent was $3,401 a month in September 2026, up 5.7% in a year and 31.8% over five years. Census figures put median gross rent at $2,347 over 2020-2024, which shows how far current asking rents have moved.
Con: Lakewood's reported violent crime is higher than in 2019
California DOJ figures show the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reported 276 violent crimes and 1,580 property crimes in Lakewood in 2025, against 222 and 1,846 in 2019, so violent crime was up and property crime down. Using the state's January 2024 population estimate of 77,359, the 2025 counts are about 3.6 violent and 20.4 property crimes per 1,000 residents. See Lakewood crime data for the method and how to check an address.
What living in Lakewood is like
Lakewood climate
Lakewood sits on the coastal plain a few miles inland from Long Beach. National Weather Service normals for nearby Long Beach Airport (1991-2020) show an average August high of 83.2°F, an average January low of 46.9°F and about 12 inches of rain a year, most of it in winter.
Getting around Lakewood
The main roads are Lakewood Boulevard (State Route 19), Bellflower Boulevard, Del Amo Boulevard, and Carson and South streets. The city offers a transit guide and DASH rides for seniors. With 13.3% of workers working from home (Census), weekday traffic matters less for some households than it did before 2020.
Things to do in Lakewood
Beyond the parks and pools, the city runs an equestrian center next to Rynerson Park, community garden plots, nature trails, and summer concerts at Del Valle Park. San Martin Park is known locally as Pumpkin Park for its Cinderella carriage play equipment. Beaches in Long Beach and Seal Beach are a short drive south.
Lakewood compared with nearby cities
The fairest comparison uses one measure for every city. This table uses Zillow's typical home value and observed rent for September 2026, and the Census Bureau's median household income for 2020-2024.
| City | Zillow typical home value | Zillow observed rent | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakewood | $872,068 | $3,401 | $119,177 |
| Cerritos | $1,086,261 | $3,385 | $135,439 |
| Downey | $879,552 | $2,257 | $90,699 |
| Long Beach | $852,391 | $2,412 | $87,430 |
| Bellflower | $793,206 | $2,221 | $78,722 |
Two things stand out. Lakewood's observed rent is the highest of the five, close to Cerritos. A likely reason is the housing mix: 79.6% of Lakewood's homes are detached houses (Census), so many rentals are whole houses rather than apartments, and Zillow's rent index reflects that mix. And its median household income sits between Cerritos and the other three cities. The Census median home value, which is owner-reported, was $827,200 in Lakewood against $935,300 in Cerritos and $705,700 in Bellflower over the same period. If you are weighing Lakewood against Long Beach, our is Long Beach a good place to live page uses the same approach.
Salary needed to live in Lakewood
MIT's Living Wage Calculator for Los Angeles County (updated February 15, 2026) sets the pre-tax income needed to cover basic costs. These figures assume renting, not buying.
| Household | Living wage (hourly) | Annual income before taxes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 adult, no children | $28.92 | $60,161 |
| 1 adult, 1 child | $50.23 | $104,483 |
| 2 working adults, no children | $19.06 each | $79,296 |
| 2 working adults, 2 children | $33.83 each | $140,735 |
Buying takes more. The monthly principal, interest and base property tax on the Redfin median, about $5,617, would be 30% of a gross income of roughly $225,000 a year, before insurance. Lakewood's median household income is $119,177 (Census, 2020-2024), and higher in ZIP 90713 at $133,419. Most buyers here bring equity from a previous home or a larger down payment.
Who's moving to and from Lakewood
Lakewood has low turnover. In the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 survey, 91.7% of residents lived in the same house a year earlier, 5.5% had moved from elsewhere in Los Angeles County, 2.1% from another California county, 0.6% from another state and 0.2% from abroad. The 2020 Census counted 82,496 residents, and the state Department of Finance estimated 77,359 in January 2024, though the two use different methods. With the city built out and little land zoned for new housing, most change comes through existing homes changing hands.
Retiring in Lakewood
Lakewood's housing is mostly 1950s detached tract houses, and the city runs senior services, the Burns Community Center's Active+ fitness classes and DASH transportation for seniors. Long-time owners thinking about selling should look at Prop 19 rules for moving a lower tax base to a new home; see our California Prop 19 guide. Owners who stay benefit from Prop 13, which limits increases in the assessed value of a home to 2% a year while you own it, so a long-held Lakewood house usually carries a much smaller tax bill than a recent purchase next door. For wider options, compare places to retire in California.
Where to live in Lakewood
Zillow's typical value in September 2026 was $898,661 in ZIP 90713 (the east-central tracts around Woodruff Avenue and Lakewood High), $862,486 in 90712 (west and central Lakewood around City Hall and Lakewood Center) and $818,284 in 90715 (east of the San Gabriel River). Our Lakewood neighborhoods guide profiles each tract, and our Lakewood homes for sale guide covers how to buy.
Should you move to Lakewood? A checklist
- Can you cover about $5,600 a month for principal, interest and base tax on a median home, plus insurance and repairs on a 1950s house?
- Do you need a car for work and errands? Most Lakewood households do.
- Have you checked which of four school districts serves the address you like?
- Are you comfortable with an older house, or do you need a recent build?
- Have you looked at the official crime figures and the FEMA flood map for the address?
- Have you compared Lakewood with nearby Cerritos, Downey, Bellflower and Long Beach on the same measure?