Lakewood and Westlake 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
Westlake
Opportunity
68 · Top 26%
vs74 · Top 15%
Growth
62 · Top 30%
vs34 · Bottom 22%
Climate
68 · Bottom 43%
vs68 · Bottom 43%
Physical resilience
97 · Top 2%
vs97 · Top 2%
Housing affordability
90 · Top 33%
vs97 · Top 15%
Schools
71 · Top 25%
vs85 · Top 7%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
68 · Top 34%
vs63 · Top 44%
Measured values
| Metric | Lakewood | Westlake | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 50,007 | 34,104 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $68,954 | $112,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $52,111 | $69,306 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 9,022/sq mi | 2,140/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $262,200 | $368,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,070 | $1,570 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 44.4% | 73.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8% | 3.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 55.3% | 60.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.3% | 4.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 130 | 38 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.6 | 1.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 6400.0% | -50.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.0" | 41.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 6 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.0 min | 26.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.5 | 46.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.89 | 14.40 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 68.5% | 76.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 72.0% | 79.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 39.8% | 23.1% | 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.
Full profiles: Lakewood, OH · Westlake, OH · How this is calculated: methodology