City comparison
Federal Way, WA is about 20 miles (30 km) from Seattle, WA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 30 miles, or about 27 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 Federal Way, WA to Seattle, WA takes about 3 min, covering roughly 20 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.
Seattle has a population of 734,603, vs 99,614 in Federal Way — about 7.4× larger by population. By land area, Seattle covers about 84 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 | Seattle | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,660/mo | $1,945/mo | 17.2% higher in Seattle |
| Median home value | $454,300 | $879,900 | 93.7% higher in Seattle |
| Median household income | $80,360 | $116,068 | 44.4% higher in Seattle |
| Groceries index | 104.0 | 103.0 | 0.9% higher in Federal Way |
| Utilities index | 95.7 | 92.5 | 3.5% higher in Federal Way |
| Transportation index | 106.6 | 108.1 | 1.3% higher in Seattle |
| Healthcare index | 106.6 | 108.8 | 2.0% higher in Seattle |
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 $100,762 in Seattle to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Federal Way, WA is about 0.8% cheaper overall than Seattle, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 1% higher in Seattle than in Federal Way. If you earn $80,000 in Federal Way, you'd need about $80,610 in Seattle to keep the same standard of living.