Lakewood, Washington

About Lakewood

Lakewood occupies land once formerly know as the Prairie, a 20 square mile region scattered with small lakes.  It was the home of Steilacoom and Nisqually Indians.  Fort Nisqually was built in 1833 to be used as a trading post by the Hudson's Bay Company, but closed in 1869.  Fort Steilacoom was built nearby in 1849 by the U.S. Army as a military post to protect settlers from Indian uprisings.  Army officers who were stationed at Fort Steilacoom at some point include Union Gener George B. McClellan, Confederate General George E. Pickett, Union General Philip H. Sheridan, and President Ulysses S. Grant.

When Washington became a territory in the 1850s, more settlers began to arrive, and the first grist mill, saw mill, flower mill and school were built in the area.  Slowly, the Prairie was consumed by homes and roads during the 1880s.  American Lake and Lake Steilacoom were ideal property for large homes, and in 1894, the first golf club west of the Mississippi was built on the prairie.

The Army used the prairie for military maneuvers, and established it as a new post, building Camp Lewis in 1917.  This has grown into Joint Base Lewis McChord, the largest military installation on the West Coast.

The economic growth after the Great Depression and World War II were boons to Lakewood, and it began to build commercial centers, a hospital, public library, more schools and colleges.  It was incorporated in 1995.  Lakewood is currently the 15th largest city in Washington, and is home to almost 57,000 residents and 1,100 business. 

Geography

Lakewood is west of Joint Base Lewis McChord, and east of Steilacoom.  It is west of I-5, south of Tacoma and University Place.  With easy access to I-5, Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, and Portland, Oregon are all within reach.  Amtrak railway stations, serving the Western Corridor are located in Olympia and Tacoma.  Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is also within close proximity.  There are smaller airfields as well in Spanaway and Tumwater, and the Tacoma Narrows Airport offers flight instruction.

Lakewood Real Estate

About as many residents in Lakewood rent as do own homes.

Mean real estate prices in 2008:

All housing units $322,274
Detached houses $357,003
Townhouses or other attached units $275,796
In 2-unit structures $260,737
In 3- to 4-unit structures $203,246
In 5 or more unit structures $153,658
Mobile homes $18,800

Weather

The weather in Lakewood is characterized as a temperate climate.  It rarely experiences extreme temperatures.  Winters are rainy, with occasional snow, and summers are warm and dry.  The rainy months make Lakewood an easy place to garden, and spring is vibrantly colorful.

  Jan April July Oct
Avg. Temp 40 50 64 50
Precip in inches 6 3.2 1 3

Population

As of July 2008, the population of Lakewood was 56,983, down 2.1% since the 2000 census.  Each household is occupied by an average of 2.38 persons.  The median age in Lakewood is 35 years, similar to Washington State's average of 35.3

Employment

The U.S. Military is a significant employer of residents of Lakewood.  Otherwise, the areas of trade most commonly employing male workers are construction, health care, services and education.  For female workers they are health care, education, public administration and services.  Lakewood residents commute an average of 25 minutes each way.

Income

In 2008, the median household income in Lakewood was $46,907, compared to $36,422 in 2000.  Washington State's average was $58,000.  16.8% of Lakewood residents were living below the poverty line.  Washington's average was 10.6%.

Cost of Living

As of December 2009, the Cost of Living Index for Lakewood is 101, compared to the national average of all areas participating in the Cost of Living Index of 100.

Lakewood Schools

Public schools in Lakewood and on Joint Base Lewis McChord are administered by the Clover Park School District.  It has 17 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, and 2 high schools, serving over 12,000 students and employing over 1,500 staff.

Of Lakewood residents over the age of 25, 85.4% have achieved at least a high school diploma, while 21.8% have earned a Bachelor's Degree or greater.  Opportunities for post-secondary education abound, including Pierce College at Fort Steilacoom, Clover Park Technical College, Bates Technical College, Green River Community College, South Puget Sound Community College, Pacific Lutheran University, University of Puget Sound, University of Washington Tacoma Campus, The Evergreen State College, and Saint Martin's University.