Is Federal Way, WA a Good Place to Live?
Federal Way is a mid-sized city of 99,614 in Washington, with a median household income of $80,360 and a 5.5% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 113 (US average = 100), which is 13% above the national average.
Strengths: Federal Way stands out for solid school ratings (B-).
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, a higher-than-average crime index, longer commutes, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Federal Way is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Federal Way city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 113.0Federal Way's overall cost of living index is 113.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Federal Way costs roughly 13% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Federal Way, WA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $454,300 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,660 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 55.4% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $80,360 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Higher than AverageFederal Way's violent crime rate is 545.4 per 100,000 residents — 44% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Federal Way is served primarily by Federal Way School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18.3:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Federal Way, WA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Federal Way School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 23 | — |
| Middle Schools | 7 | — |
| High Schools | 10 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 18.3:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 30.6% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 90.2% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Federal Way sees average highs of 48.1°F in January and 76.8°F in July, with 40.6 inches of annual precipitation and 6.3 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Federal Way, WA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 48.1°F |
| Average High — July | 76.8°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 40.6" |
| Annual Snowfall | 6.3" |
Demographics
| Metric | Federal Way, WA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 99,614 | — |
| Median Age | 37.4 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.5% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 33.3 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 42.2% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 16.4% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 15.2% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 15.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 23.0% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 14.2% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Federal Way
Federal Way, WA is covered by 2 ZIP codes: