Federal Way vs Seattle
A side-by-side comparison of Federal Way and Seattle: population, income, housing, and more.
Federal Way and Seattle are places in Washington. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Seattle has the higher population (741,440 vs 99,232 in Federal Way). Seattle has the higher median household income ($121,984 vs $82,144 in Federal Way). Seattle has the higher median home value ($912,100 vs $499,600 in Federal Way).
Population, income & housing
| Federal Way | Seattle | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 99,232 | 741,440 |
| Median age | 37.6 yrs | 35.5 yrs |
| Median household income | $82,144 | $121,984 |
| Median home value | $499,600 | $912,100 |
| Median gross rent | $1,738 | $1,998 |
| Housing units | 38,251 | 382,933 |
| Homeownership rate | 55.7% | 44.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.1% | 67.5% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.9% | 4.2% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Federal Way | Seattle | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 96,526 → 99,232 (+2.8%) | 724,305 → 741,440 (+2.4%) |
| Median household income | $67,347 → $82,144 (+22.0%) | $92,263 → $121,984 (+32.2%) |
| Median home value | $328,800 → $499,600 (+51.9%) | $663,100 → $912,100 (+37.6%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,334 → $1,738 (+30.3%) | $1,614 → $1,998 (+23.8%) |
Federal Way
96,52699,232
$67,347$82,144
$328,800$499,600
$1,334$1,738
Seattle
724,305741,440
$92,263$121,984
$663,100$912,100
$1,614$1,998
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Federal Way | Seattle | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 6.7% | 4.2% |
| 5 to 17 | 16.3% | 9.8% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.6% | 10.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.2% | 24.9% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.1% | 16.3% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.7% | 9.8% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.5% | 7.7% |
| 75 and over | 5.9% | 5.1% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Federal Way | Seattle | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 35.8% | 59.9% |
| Black or African American | 17.4% | 6.5% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Asian | 14.4% | 17.0% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 3.2% | 0.3% |
| Some other race | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Two or more races | 9.2% | 7.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 19.0% | 8.2% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Federal Way | Seattle | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 9.8% | 4.3% |
| High school graduate | 26.8% | 9.5% |
| Some college or associate's | 32.3% | 18.7% |
| Bachelor's degree | 21.1% | 37.6% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 10.0% | 30.0% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Federal Way | Seattle | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 68.0% | 37.6% |
| Carpooled | 11.3% | 5.1% |
| Public transit | 5.2% | 13.9% |
| Walked | 1.5% | 8.3% |
| Bicycle | 0.1% | 2.5% |
| Worked from home | 12.5% | 31.3% |
| Other means | 1.4% | 1.4% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Federal Way | Seattle | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 48.7% | 37.9% |
| 1-unit, attached | 3.4% | 5.9% |
| 2 to 4 units | 12.4% | 5.5% |
| 5 to 19 units | 20.7% | 12.4% |
| 20 or more units | 10.8% | 38.1% |
| Mobile home & other | 4.0% | 0.3% |
Poverty & households
| Federal Way | Seattle | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 12.7% | 9.9% |
| Average household size | 2.70 | 2.03 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 32 | 27 |
| Median year structure built | 1984 | 1974 |
Full profiles
2Related rankings
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- Most densely populated — cities in Washington
- Highest median household income — cities in Washington
- Highest median home value — cities in Washington
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- Highest median gross rent — cities in Washington
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- Shortest commutes — cities in Washington
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- Fastest-growing (2019–2023) — cities in Washington
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