Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Garden Grove, CA
VS
Lakewood, CO
🏆 Lakewood leads 13 of 23 categories
Garden Grove
California
10
wins
Cost of Living Index
115.5⚠ High
Median Household Income
$86,139 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
73 ✓ Safer
Population
171,637 ✓ Larger
Lakewood
Colorado
13
wins
Cost of Living Index
105.5⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$82,786
Violent Crime Index
207⚠ High
Population
156,149
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Garden Grove, CA
Pros
65% less violent crime than Lakewood
Milder winters — January highs near 69°F vs 45°F
Households earn $3,353 more per year on average
Cons
Pricier housing — median home is $702,600
Living costs are well above the U.S. average (index 115.5)
Higher rents — median is $1,887/mo
Cost of living runs 10% higher than Lakewood
Lakewood, CO
Pros
Homes cost $209k less ($494,100 vs $702,600)
Stronger job market — unemployment is 1.4 pts lower (4.4%)
More college-educated — 44.4% hold a bachelor's or higher
Rent averages $222/mo less ($1,665 vs $1,887)
10% cheaper overall cost of living than Garden Grove
Smaller class sizes — 16.7:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Violent crime (787.2/100k) is above the U.S. average of 380
Property crime (5093.4/100k) runs high vs the U.S. average
Snowy winters — about 58" of snow per year
Median income trails Garden Grove by $3,353/yr
Key Differences at a Glance
Garden Grove
Median Income
$3,353
$86,139 vs $82,786/yr
Garden Grove
Violent Crime
65% lower
276.6 vs 787.2 per 100k
Lakewood
Cost of Living
10% cheaper
COL index 105.5 vs 115.5 (100 = US avg)
Lakewood
Median Home Value
$209k less
$494,100 vs $702,600
Lakewood
Unemployment
1.4 pp lower
4.4% vs 5.8% unemployment
Lakewood
Summer Heat
3.4°F warmer
July avg high 85.9°F vs 82.5°F
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Garden Grove, CA | Lakewood, CO |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 115.5⚠ High | 105.5⚠ High ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $702,600⚠ High | $494,100⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,887⚠ High | $1,665⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $86,139 ✓ Higher | $82,786 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.8%⚠ High | 4.4%⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 29.1 min⚠ High | 27.0 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 8.7% | 16.9% ✓ Higher |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 77 ✓ Safer | 221⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 73 ✓ Safer | 207⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 84 ✓ Safer | 243⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | C+ (87) | B+ (105) ✓ Better |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 22.9:1 | 16.7:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 23.5% | 44.4% ✓ Higher |
| High School or Higher | 75.4% | 93.1% ✓ Higher |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Garden Grove Unified | Jefferson County School District No. R-1 |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 69.3°F ✓ Warmer | 44.8°F |
| Avg High — July | 82.5°F | 85.9°F ✓ Warmer |
| Annual Precipitation | 12.5" ✓ Drier | 17.8" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" ✓ Less | 58.0" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 171,637 ✓ Larger | 156,149 |
| Median Age | 39.2 ✓ Older | 38.1 |
| Homeownership Rate | 54.0% | 58.0% ✓ Higher |
| Under 18 | 21.2% ✓ More | 16.8% |
| Over 65 | 14.3% | 17.4% ✓ More |
Frequently Asked Questions
Garden Grove's cost of living index is 115.5 vs Lakewood's 105.5 (US average = 100).
Lakewood is 10% less expensive overall.
Based on the 23 decided categories above, Lakewood leads 13 of 23 categories. Garden Grove wins 10 and Lakewood wins 13. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Garden Grove to Lakewood or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($702,600 vs $494,100 median home), income ($86,139 vs $82,786), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Garden Grove, CA and Lakewood, CO are about 819 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.