Signals
Lakewood
Elizabeth
Climate
70 · Bottom 47%
vs71 · Top 48%
Physical resilience
47 · Bottom 39%
vs49 · Bottom 41%
Housing affordability
16 · Bottom 1%
vs46 · Bottom 8%
Schools
40 · Bottom 34%
vs27 · Bottom 19%
Access
79 · Bottom 21%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
32 · Bottom 9%
vs57 · Bottom 43%
Measured values
| Metric | Lakewood | Elizabeth | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 69,585 | 137,302 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $56,968 | $66,555 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $19,050 | $28,969 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 9,830/sq mi | 11,146/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $715,500 | $449,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,718 | $1,523 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 39.1% | 25.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.9% | 14.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 29.9% | 15.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 86°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 24°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.6" | 46.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 41 mi | 2 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.4 min | 28.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 17.5 | 35.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 37 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 9.25 | 13.39 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 18.1% | 8.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 25.8% | 29.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 92.1% | 83.0% | 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: strong wind, coastal flooding, hurricane.
Elizabeth
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Lakewood, NJ · Elizabeth, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology