Lakewood vs Ocean Grove
Lakewood, New Jersey versus Ocean Grove, New Jersey: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Ocean Grove edges out Lakewood on overall objective livability (48 vs 42 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Lakewood | Ocean Grove |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $55k | $73k |
| Cost of Living | $61k | $61k |
| Home Value | $605k | $772k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $5k | $942 |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.65% | 1.30% |
| Income Tax | 10.70% | 10.70% |
| Sales Tax | 6.60% | 6.60% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 31.12% | 26.67% |
| Unemployment | 6.4% | 7.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 33°F | 33°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 77°F | 77°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 51.9 in | 52.5 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 23.7 in | 24.5 in |
| Sunny Days | 211 days | 170 days |
| Summer Humidity | 66°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 82 days | 85 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 31.4 | 12.4 |
| Air Quality | 47 AQI | 45 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 713/100k | — |
| Property Crime | 1122/100k | — |
| Community | ||
| Population | 68,555 | 3,129 |
| Median Age | 17.5 | 61.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.22 | 0.16 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.06 | 0.88 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 84.8% | 90.7% |
| Black (%) | 1.6% | 1.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 11.7% | 6.3% |
| Asian (%) | 0.7% | 1.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 1.3% | 0.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 21 min | 28 min |
| Walkability | 13.6/20 | 14.4/20 |
| Airport Distance | 41 mi | 32 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 56.4% | 86.9% |
| Amenities Nearby | 16.19 | 549.70 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Lakewood or Ocean Grove more affordable?
- Ocean Grove has the lower cost of living: its index is $61k, compared with Lakewood's $61k and Ocean Grove's $61k. Median rent is $2k in Lakewood versus $1k in Ocean Grove.
- Are homes cheaper in Lakewood or Ocean Grove?
- The median home value is $605k in Lakewood and $772k in Ocean Grove, so homes are more affordable in Lakewood.