Cost of living in Federal Way research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Federal Way is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Washington, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Federal Way is 131, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Federal Way is 1.3x higher than the national average.
Federal Way ranks as the #126 cheapest in Washington out of 192.
Federal Way ranks as the #5,294 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Federal Way is $384,200.
The median income in Federal Way is $72,969.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Federal Way has an overall cost of living index of 131, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Washington, Federal Way has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Washington's index of 115.
The standard of living in Federal Way ranks as #126 most affordable out of the 192 places we measured in Washington. By definition, that implies Federal Way ranks as the #66 most expensive place in the Evergreen State.
For more reading on life in Federal Way, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Federal Way. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Federal Way is 130.
The Groceries index in Federal Way is 129.
The Health index in Federal Way is 130.
The Housing index in Federal Way is 131.
The Transportation index in Federal Way is 142.
The Utilities index in Federal Way is 110.
Living Expense | Federal Way | Washington | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 131 | 115 | 100 | |
Services | 130 | 112 | 100 | |
Groceries | 129 | 109 | 100 | |
Health | 130 | 119 | 100 | |
Housing | 131 | 129 | 100 | |
Transportation | 142 | 116 | 100 | |
Utilities | 110 | 90 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Washington, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Federal Way is $384,200.
The Median Rent in Federal Way is $1,487.
The Median Income in Federal Way is $72,969.
The Home Value To Income in Federal Way is 5.3x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Federal Way is 0.24x.
Statistic | Federal Way | Washington | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $384,200 | $397,600 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,487 | $1,439 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $72,969 | $82,400 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 5.3x | 4.8x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.24x | 0.21x | 0.2x |
Item | Federal Way | Washington |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.13 | $1.06 |
Movie | $14.7 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $21.8 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $39.33 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $50.33 | $39.05 |
Item | Federal Way | Washington |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $5.74 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $2.15 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.5 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.5 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $13.12 | $10.62 |
Beer | $10.49 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $3.44 | $2.34 |
Item | Federal Way | Washington |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $158.73 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $136.39 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $143.77 | $99.13 |
Item | Federal Way | Washington |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $3.19 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $66.49 | $50.07 |
Item | Federal Way | Washington |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $186.95 | $167.67 |
Phone | $194.23 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Federal Way. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Tacoma, WA has a cost of living index of 111, 0.8x Federal Way.
Lakewood, WA has a cost of living index of 115, 0.9x Federal Way.
Puyallup, WA has a cost of living index of 120, 0.9x Federal Way.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Federal Way |
---|---|---|---|
Tacoma, WA | 217,332 | 111 | 0.8x |
Lakewood, WA | 62,972 | 115 | 0.9x |
Puyallup, WA | 42,366 | 120 | 0.9x |
Parkland, WA | 38,092 | 109 | 0.8x |
Des Moines, WA | 32,631 | 131 | 1.0x |
Lakeland North, WA | 14,161 | 132 | 1.0x |
Lakeland South, WA | 12,696 | 132 | 1.0x |
Gig Harbor, WA | 11,505 | 141 | 1.1x |
Fife, WA | 10,869 | 126 | 1.0x |
Sumner, WA | 10,545 | 127 | 1.0x |