Lakewood and La Mirada 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
La Mirada
Opportunity
43 · Bottom 23%
vs42 · Bottom 20%
Growth
39 · Bottom 30%
vs47 · Bottom 44%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
11 · Bottom 4%
vs11 · Bottom 7%
Housing affordability
54 · Bottom 13%
vs49 · Bottom 9%
Access
100 · Top 3%
vs100 · Top 3%
Economic stability
76 · Top 14%
vs67 · Top 37%
Measured values
| Metric | Lakewood | La Mirada | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 79,850 | 47,180 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $119,177 | $109,288 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $45,789 | $43,496 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 8,500/sq mi | 6,030/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $827,200 | $825,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,347 | $2,217 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 71.4% | 76.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 5.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.7% | 40.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.8% | 6.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 91 | 147 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 3.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 49.2% | 2000.0% | 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 | 10 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.0 min | 34.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.4 | 42.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 20 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.66 | 23.06 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 68.3% | 57.1% | 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.
La Mirada
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Lakewood, CA · La Mirada, CA · How this is calculated: methodology