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Residential comparison · 13 facts

Lakewood, NJ vs Long Branch, NJ

Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.

A household earning $85,000 in Lakewood needs about $93,000 in Long Branch to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Long Branch, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $77,000 in Lakewood.

A few differences

Lakewood vs Long Branch · facet by facet
FacetLakewood, NJLong Branch, NJ
Median home price$715,500$574,000
2-bedroom rent$1,670/mo$1,900/mo
Property tax rate2.2%2.2%
State & local income tax2.26%2.26%
Sales tax6.6%6.6%
Cost of living index128124
Groceries index106106
Utilities$180/mo$180/mo
Median household income$56,968$79,653
Unemployment rate4.5%4.5%
Crime index25/10025/100
School rating8.3/108.3/10
Sunny days / year205 days205 days

Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.

Full profiles: Lakewood, NJ · Long Branch, NJ
Questions & answers
Is Lakewood cheaper than Long Branch?
Long Branch has the lower day-to-day cost index (124 vs 128 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
What household income in Long Branch equals $85,000 in Lakewood?
A household earning $85,000 in Lakewood needs about $93,000 in Long Branch to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Long Branch lifestyle costs about $77,000 in Lakewood.