Lakewood vs Toms River
Lakewood, New Jersey versus Toms River, New Jersey: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Lakewood and Toms River score about the same overall (42 vs 43 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Lakewood | Toms River |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $55k | $92k |
| Cost of Living | $61k | $59k |
| Home Value | $605k | $356k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.65% | 1.79% |
| Income Tax | 10.70% | 10.70% |
| Sales Tax | 6.60% | 6.60% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 31.12% | 19.81% |
| Unemployment | 6.4% | 5.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 33°F | 33°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 77°F | 77°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 51.9 in | 52.0 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 23.7 in | 23.7 in |
| Sunny Days | 211 days | 211 days |
| Summer Humidity | 66°F | 66°F |
| Comfortable Days | 82 days | 83 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 31.4 | 49.7 |
| Air Quality | 47 AQI | 47 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 713/100k | 551/100k |
| Property Crime | 1122/100k | 777/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 68,555 | 92,827 |
| Median Age | 17.5 | 42.3 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.22 | 0.30 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.06 | 0.94 |
| Political Leaning | Even | R+29 |
| White (%) | 84.8% | 78.7% |
| Black (%) | 1.6% | 3.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 11.7% | 10.9% |
| Asian (%) | 0.7% | 3.4% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 1.3% | 3.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 21 min | 31 min |
| Walkability | 13.6/20 | 8.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 41 mi | 48 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 56.4% | 89.6% |
| Amenities Nearby | 16.19 | 21.76 |
| 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 Toms River more affordable?
- Toms River has the lower cost of living: its index is $59k, compared with Lakewood's $61k and Toms River's $59k. Median rent is $2k in Lakewood versus $2k in Toms River.
- Is Lakewood or Toms River safer?
- Toms River has the lower violent crime rate. Lakewood reports 713/100k and Toms River reports 551/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Lakewood or Toms River?
- The median home value is $605k in Lakewood and $356k in Toms River, so homes are more affordable in Toms River.