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Cost of Living Comparison for Lakewood, WA
Local data pre-filled
Lakewood's cost of living index is 105 — 5% more expensive than the national average. This factors in housing, groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare. Use this calculator to see how your purchasing power would change if you moved to another city.
✓ Calculator below is pre-filled with Lakewood local data
Data as of · Sources: Zillow, Census ACS, Tax Foundation, Freddie Mac
Washington Financial Snapshot (2026) — Cost of Living Comparison
Cost-of-living index and median income anchor the budget math for the cost of living comparison in Washington.
How the Cost of Living Comparison Math Works Under Washington Law
Your cost of living comparison in Washington is driven by the BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) — a purchasing-power index where US = 100. The all-items RPP tells you how far a dollar goes statewide vs the national average; housing-only RPP isolates the rent/mortgage side, which is the single biggest budget line for most households[1].
When the all-items RPP is above 100, the same expense basket costs more to maintain in Washington. The 50/30/20 rule (needs/wants/savings) bends toward needs in high-RPP states and toward savings in low-RPP states.
Calc-specific note: COL index normalises everything to US = 100. Housing RPP + all-items RPP are the two dimensions that move together.
Worked example — Washington
Washington's BEA all-items RPP measures how far a dollar goes vs US = 100. $100 of mainstream-basket spending in Washington costs $(RPP) in the US average. Housing RPP is usually the biggest swing component — run the housing tile separately when comparing metros.
Local context: Lakewood, WA
Housing economics in Lakewood, WA. The median home value runs 6.1% above the U.S. baseline for Lakewood, WA is $380,000 per Zillow's home-value index. Median rent runs $1,400 a month per Zillow ZORI, cheaper than the national $1,850 baseline. Effective property tax sits at 1.10% of assessed value, meaningfully higher than the 0.99% national average tracked by the Tax Foundation.
Income and tax climate. Washington's top marginal state income tax bracket lands at 0.00% — one of nine states that levies no broad-based income tax, shifting the revenue burden onto sales, property, and severance levies. BEA's Regional Price Parity scores Lakewood, WA at 105.0 (national = 100), meaning a dollar in Lakewood, WA buys 95¢ of national purchasing power.
Local context as of 2026-04-19.
Lakewood versus the U.S. baseline
| Metric | Lakewood, WA | U.S. baseline | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value[zillow] | $380,000 | $358,000 | 6.1% |
| Median monthly rent[zillow] | $1,400 | $1,850 | -24.3% |
| Property tax (effective)[tax-foundation] | 1.10% | 0.99% | 11.1% |
| State top marginal income tax[tax-foundation] | None | ~4.08% (volume-weighted) | −4.08 pp |
| State cost-of-living index[bea-rpp] | 105.0 | 100.0 | 5.0 pts |
How to use the Cost of Living Comparison
Walk through using the Cost of Living Comparison with Lakewood, WA-specific defaults pre-loaded from primary sources.
- Enter your Lakewood numbersFill in the cost of living comparison inputs. Defaults reflect Lakewood, WA 2026: median home $380,000, median rent $1,400/mo, 1.10% effective property tax.
- Apply the local 2026 inputsThe median home value in Lakewood is $380,000 (Zillow ZHVI), with median monthly rent running $1,400/mo.
- Compare against Lakewood contextMonthly PITI on the $380,000 median home in Lakewood is ~$2,483/mo — vs a $1,400/mo median rent.
How Washington Compares to Neighboring States
| State | Median home | Top inc tax | Prop tax rate | RPP (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington (this page) | $615,000 | None | 0.98% | 108.4 |
| Idaho | $465,000 | 5.70% | 0.69% | 92.2 |
| check Oregon | $490,000 | 9.90% | 0.87% | 104.8 |
Sources: Zillow ZHVI[1], state Departments of Revenue / Tax Foundation[2], Tax Foundation property taxes[3], BEA Regional Price Parities[4].
What Changes Your Result in Washington
- Washington cost-of-living drag:Line-item costs in Washington deviate from the US mean by whatever the BEA all-items RPP deviates from 100. Weight your budget toward the state average rather than the national average.
Related Calculations for Washington
- Washington rent affordability numbers for 2026 — rent is the biggest COL line.
How Lakewood Compares to the National Average
Understanding how Lakewood stacks up helps you calibrate your financial planning.
| Metric | Lakewood, WA | US Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $380,000 | $420,800 | -9.7% |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,400 | $1,713 | -18.3% |
| Median Household Income | $52,800 | $74,580 | -29.2% |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.10% | 1.10% | +0.0% |
| Cost of Living Index | 105 | 100 | +5.0% |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, BLS, Zillow, NAR (2024–2025). Green = favorable for residents; red = less favorable.
Lakewood Financial Snapshot
- Population (Metro)
- 65,000
- Unemployment
- 4.8%
- Avg Commute
- 26 min
- Median Age
- 32.5
- Price-to-Rent Ratio
- 22.6x
- Annual Property Tax
- $4,180
More Financial Calculators for Lakewood, WA
Frequently Asked Questions — Lakewood
- Can median-income households afford the median home in Lakewood?
- With a ~$2,483 monthly PITI and $52,800 median income, housing would consume ~56.4% of gross annual income. Qualifying under the 28% DTI rule requires ~$106,414 in annual income. Educational reference only.
- Is it better to rent or buy in Lakewood?
- Lakewood's price-to-rent ratio (22.6x) tilts toward renting — above 20x, buying is generally expensive relative to renting.
- What is the annual property tax bill on the median home in Lakewood?
- Approximately $4,180/yr at the 1.10% effective rate on the $380,000 median home. The national average effective rate is 1.07%.
- What share of median income goes to rent in Lakewood?
- The $1,400/mo median rent represents 31.8% of the $52,800 median household income. The recommended housing cost threshold is 30%; Lakewood exceeds that guideline. Educational reference only.
- How much does commuting cost in Lakewood?
- Average commute time in Lakewood is 26 minutes per ACS. Estimated annual commute cost runs about $4,529. Educational reference only.
- How does the cost of living in Lakewood compare to the national average?
- Lakewood's BEA RPP index is 105, 5% above the national baseline of 100. For a household earning the national median income of $77,540, this translates to ~$3,877/yr in purchasing power difference. Educational reference only.
- What is the median home price in Lakewood, WA?
- The median home price in Lakewood is $380,000 as of 2025–2026.
- What is the average rent in Lakewood?
- The median monthly rent in Lakewood, WA is $1,400.
- Does the cost of living comparison replace professional advice?
- No. This calculator gives educational estimates using public Lakewood data and standard formulas. It is not personalized tax, legal, or investment advice. Consult a licensed professional for decisions with material consequences.
Washington State Context
Washington Real Estate Tips
Washington has no state income tax, but property taxes average 0.98% and King County (Seattle) runs significantly higher.
WSHFC (Washington State Housing Finance Commission) offers down payment assistance and homebuyer education.
Seattle-area median home prices exceed $750K — but eastern Washington (Spokane, Tri-Cities) offers medians under $400K.
Washington's real estate excise tax (REET) is tiered: 1.1% on the first $525K, up to 3% on portions over $3M.
Washington Homebuyer Programs
- ✓WSHFC Home Advantage — below-market rate mortgages with up to $10,000 DPA.
- ✓WSHFC House Key Opportunity — additional $10,000 DPA for qualifying buyers.
- ✓Seattle/King County DPA Programs — various local programs with $15,000-$55,000 in assistance.
Statewide Washington figures apply broadly across Lakewood. County- and city-level variation can be significant — verify against local sources before closing a transaction. [3]
How we compute this — methodology
The Lakewood page uses local median home price ($380,000), median rent ($1,400/mo), and property tax rate (1.10%) alongside the calculator's client-side formula. Calculations run in your browser — no inputs are sent to a server.
Known limits: ZIP-level variance within Lakewood can be substantial — the figures shown are city-wide medians. For a precise property tax quote, consult your county assessor.
Sources
- Zillow Research — ZHVI (Zillow Home Value Index) + ZORI (Zillow Observed Rent Index), city-level. zillow.com/research/data. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates for median household income and population. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs.
- CalcFi state financial context — tips + first-time homebuyer programs compiled from each state's Housing Finance Authority (HFA) public pages. See
src/data/state-financial-context.ts. - Tax Foundation — state property tax effective rates and state/local sales tax rates. taxfoundation.org.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) — weekly national mortgage rate averages used by mortgage-related calculators. freddiemac.com/pmms.
- Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities by State — www.bea.gov/data/prices-inflation/regional-price-parities-state-and-metro-area. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- U.S. Energy Information Administration — residential electricity / natural gas / gasoline — www.eia.gov. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — state-level occupational wages — www.bls.gov/oes. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) — weekly national mortgage rates — www.freddiemac.com/pmms. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- NAIC Dwelling Fire, Homeowners Owners, and Homeowners Tenants Insurance Report — content.naic.org/article/homeowners-insurance-report. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- State Departments of Revenue — official bracket + deduction publications (one primary URL per state; linked in the brackets table below) — taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/state-income-tax-rates. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- U.S. Department of Labor — State Minimum Wage Laws — www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) — real median household income, unemployment, HPI, LFPR per state — fred.stlouisfed.org. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
Spot an error? Email [email protected] with the URL and the correct figure.
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