City comparison
Burien, WA is about 10 miles (20 km) from Federal Way, WA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 14 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Burien, WA to Federal Way, WA takes about 1 min, covering roughly 10 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Federal Way has a population of 99,614, vs 51,505 in Burien — about 1.9× larger by population. By land area, Federal Way covers about 22 sq mi vs 10 sq mi for Burien.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Burien | Federal Way | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,649/mo | $1,660/mo | 0.7% higher in Federal Way |
| Median home value | $566,500 | $454,300 | 24.7% higher in Burien |
| Median household income | $84,583 | $80,360 | 5.3% higher in Burien |
| Groceries index | 104.0 | 104.0 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 95.7 | 95.7 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 106.6 | 106.6 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 106.6 | 106.6 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Burien, you'd need $100,032 in Federal Way to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Burien and Federal Way have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Burien, you'd need about $80,026 in Federal Way to keep the same standard of living.