City comparison
Federal Way, WA is about 10 miles (10 km) from Tacoma, WA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 9 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 Tacoma, 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.
Tacoma has a population of 219,234, vs 99,614 in Federal Way — about 2.2× larger by population. By land area, Tacoma covers about 50 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 | Tacoma | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,660/mo | $1,489/mo | 11.5% higher in Federal Way |
| Median home value | $454,300 | $415,300 | 9.4% higher in Federal Way |
| Median household income | $80,360 | $79,085 | 1.6% higher in Federal Way |
| 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 Tacoma |
| Healthcare index | 106.6 | 108.8 | 2.0% higher in Tacoma |
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 $99,651 in Tacoma to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Federal Way and Tacoma have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Federal Way, you'd need about $79,721 in Tacoma to keep the same standard of living.