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Compare towns

Lakewood vs Carson

7 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (2.7× in Carson) and trails (+90% in Lakewood).

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Lakewood, CAAn outdoors townCalifornia · 79,850 people
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Carson, CAOne of the healthiest townsCalifornia · 92,871 people
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

★ What stands out · Report cards

Lakewood places higher on 14 of 23 CA lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every California ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $520 more a month in Lakewood

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Lakewood$5,040/mo
Typical home $872K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.64% · or rent about $2,347/mo · Housing →
Carson$4,530/mo
Typical home $786K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.62% · or rent about $1,956/mo · Housing →

The difference: $520 a month, about $6,200 a year, between Lakewood and Carson.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
LakewoodCarson
Snow a year0″0″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)89th87th
Outdoors & history
LakewoodCarson
Trails6 mi3 mi
Conserved land6.6%2.6%
Settled19541968
Archive photos711
Famous people born here4341
Community
LakewoodCarson
Library hours a week40 hrs40 hrs
Colleges in town—1
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

7 miles apart

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

LakewoodCarsonLakewoodCarson
Lakewood ↔ Carson7.3 miles apart
Who commutes between them
741 Lakewood residents work in Carson (2% of its workers)
Work & commute in Lakewood →
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

LakewoodCarson
People
Population 79,850Lowest 92,871Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +3.1%Lowest CA: +6.1% +4.2%Highest CA: +6.1%
Median age 39.4±0.8Lowest 4% above CA 41.7±1Highest 10% above CA
Kids under 18 20.5%±1.2Highest CA: 22% 20.1%±1.3Lowest CA: 22%
Lakewood and Carson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 15.3%±1Lowest CA: 15.7% 18.5%±1.1Highest CA: 15.7%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 32.7%Highest CA: 37.1% 29.3%Lowest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.9%±0.7Highest CA: 7.6% 6.4%±0.8Lowest CA: 7.6%
Lakewood and Carson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $119,177±$5kHighest 20% above CA $108,703±$4kLowest 10% above CA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $827,200±$7kHighest 13% above CA $704,400±$14kLowest 4% below CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $2,347±$99Highest 15% above CA $1,956±$109Lowest 4% below CA
Property taxmedian, yearly $5,318Highest 4% above CA $4,361Lowest 15% below CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 53.1%±4.5Highest CA: 55.3% 52.9%±5.1Lowest CA: 55.3%
Lakewood and Carson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 5.8%Lowest CA: 12% 8.7%Highest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 71.4%Lowest CA: 55.9% 74%Highest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1957Lowest 19 yrs older than CA 1966Highest 10 yrs older than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 28 minHighest about the CA average 28 minLowest 4% below CA
Work from home 13.3%±1.2Highest CA: 17.2% 8.7%±0.9Lowest CA: 17.2%
Work in townworking residents 3.7%Lowest 6.9%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 11.8 miHighest 11.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.47Lowest 1.29Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Los Angeles (15%)Los Angeles (25%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 2% work in CarsonFew work in Lakewood
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 6.6%Highest 2.6%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 5.7 miHighest 3.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.6 miHighest 0.2 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 14Lowest 15Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 124Highest 88.0Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #112 of 574 in CA#124 of 574 in CA
School district ABC Unified · Bellflower UnifiedMagnolia Science Academy 3 District · Compton Unified
High school in town Mayfair HighCarson Senior High
Students per teacherat that high school 22.1Highest 18.5Lowest
California average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Lakewood neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lakewood’s Town Square.

Carson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Carson’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Lakewood and Carson

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Lakewood

Towns like Lakewood

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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