Lakewood vs Shaker Heights
Lakewood, Ohio versus Shaker Heights, Ohio: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Lakewood and Shaker Heights score about the same overall (52 vs 53 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Lakewood | Shaker Heights |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $63k | $96k |
| Cost of Living | $43k | $43k |
| Home Value | $221k | $273k |
| Monthly Rent | $941 | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 2.20% | 3.33% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.75% |
| Sales Tax | 7.24% | 7.24% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 15.07% | 17.57% |
| Unemployment | 5.4% | 5.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 29°F | 29°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 41.0 in | 33.3 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 63.8 in | 63.8 in |
| Sunny Days | 157 days | 241 days |
| Summer Humidity | 62°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 106 days | 106 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 3.3 | 18.5 |
| Air Quality | 45 AQI | 53 AQI |
| School Quality | 82.2 | 93.2 |
| Violent Crime | 620/100k | 189/100k |
| Property Crime | 1376/100k | 584/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 50,605 | 29,157 |
| Median Age | 34.3 | 41.1 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.25 | 0.58 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.94 | 0.85 |
| Political Leaning | D+34 | D+34 |
| White (%) | 84.1% | 52.4% |
| Black (%) | 5.8% | 35.4% |
| Hispanic (%) | 4.5% | 3.4% |
| Asian (%) | 2.1% | 3.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.5% | 5.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 24 min | 24 min |
| Walkability | 13.6/20 | 12.4/20 |
| Airport Distance | 5 mi | 16 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 90.6% | 89.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 91.89 | 177.32 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Moderate |
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 Shaker Heights more affordable?
- Shaker Heights has the lower cost of living: its index is $43k, compared with Lakewood's $43k and Shaker Heights's $43k. Median rent is $941 in Lakewood versus $1k in Shaker Heights.
- Is Lakewood or Shaker Heights safer?
- Shaker Heights has the lower violent crime rate. Lakewood reports 620/100k and Shaker Heights reports 189/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Lakewood or Shaker Heights?
- The median home value is $221k in Lakewood and $273k in Shaker Heights, so homes are more affordable in Lakewood.