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Washington city profile

What Is It Like to Live in Federal Way?

What it costs to live in Federal Way, and how it compares with other Washington cities, in plain numbers.

Value score

30

78th best value in Washington

How much you get for what you pay, versus other Washington cities.

Overall livability

35

68th overall in Washington

Cost, safety, schools, jobs and quality of life combined.

Federal Way is home to about 99,792 people. A typical home runs $384,200 and a household earns around $73,000, a price-to-income ratio of 5.3. Among Washington's largest cities, it ranks 78th for value and 68th overall.

Federal Way at a glance

Median home price

$384,200

61st in WA of 90

Median rent

$1,487/mo

Median household income

$73,000

Home price to income

5.3x

Unemployment

5.4%

52nd in WA of 90

School rating

6/10

59th in WA of 90

Air quality (AQI)

45

0th in WA of 90

Walk score

11/100

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‹ See all top Washington cities ranked  ยท  Washington state profile ›

Sources: Home prices and rent from Zillow; income, unemployment and commute from the U.S. Census; school ratings from state education data; crime from the FBI; air quality from the EPA. City rankings are within Washington only. Updated 2026.