City comparison
Federal Way, WA is about 600 miles (1,000 km) from Santa Rosa, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 750 miles, or about 13 hours 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 Federal Way, WA to Santa Rosa, CA takes about 1 h 14 min, covering roughly 600 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.
Santa Rosa has a population of 178,221, vs 99,614 in Federal Way — about 1.8× larger by population. By land area, Santa Rosa covers about 43 sq mi vs 22 sq mi for Federal Way.
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 | Federal Way | Santa Rosa | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,660/mo | $2,024/mo | 21.9% higher in Santa Rosa |
| Median home value | $454,300 | $661,700 | 45.7% higher in Santa Rosa |
| Median household income | $80,360 | $92,604 | 15.2% higher in Santa Rosa |
| Groceries index | 104.0 | 105.1 | 1.0% higher in Santa Rosa |
| Utilities index | 95.7 | 152.1 | 58.9% higher in Santa Rosa |
| Transportation index | 106.6 | 100.7 | 5.9% higher in Federal Way |
| Healthcare index | 106.6 | 100.6 | 5.9% higher in Federal Way |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Federal Way, you'd need $99,911 in Santa Rosa to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Federal Way and Santa Rosa have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 6% higher in Federal Way than in Santa Rosa. If you earn $80,000 in Federal Way, you'd need about $79,929 in Santa Rosa to keep the same standard of living.