Lakewood and Covina receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Lakewood
Covina
Opportunity
43 · Bottom 23%
vs42 · Bottom 21%
Growth
39 · Bottom 30%
vs38 · Bottom 29%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
11 · Bottom 4%
vs11 · Bottom 4%
Housing affordability
54 · Bottom 13%
vs52 · Bottom 12%
Access
100 · Top 3%
vs96 · Top 33%
Economic stability
76 · Top 14%
vs68 · Top 33%
Measured values
| Metric | Lakewood | Covina | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 79,850 | 49,888 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $119,177 | $98,671 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $45,789 | $38,391 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 8,500/sq mi | 7,091/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $827,200 | $718,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,347 | $1,931 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 71.4% | 58.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 5.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.7% | 27.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.8% | 8.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 91 | 87 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 1.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 49.2% | -19.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 81°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 47°F | 46°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 12.0" | 11.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 3 mi | 16 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.0 min | 34.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.4 | 38.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 20 | 19 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.66 | 22.26 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 68.3% | 74.9% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Lakewood
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Covina
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: Lakewood, CA · Covina, CA · How this is calculated: methodology