Federal Way, WA
Census place 5323515 · pop 99,493
Sales & income are statewide. No wage income tax (a capital-gains excise applies).
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
100/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
32 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$552,800 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
55.3% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
10.7% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$1,899/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
13.0% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
3 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.6% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
17.1% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+3.1% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
30.8% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities
Gini 0.43 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.85% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
41 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$86,909 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
94.0% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
10.1% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
19.2% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
27.0% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
Not measured for Federal Way: Crime, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Federal Way, WA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Federal Way scores 45/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is adult obesity and its weakest is natural disaster risk. Washington overall ranks #24 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Federal Way, WA expensive to live in?
- Federal Way has a median home value of $552,800 and typical rent around $1,899/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Federal Way, WA?
- Its weakest measured area is natural disaster risk (100/100) — 6/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
- What is Federal Way, WA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is adult obesity (27.0%) — 87/100, better than most U.S. cities.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.