City comparison
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 A |
| Median home value | $454,300 | $415,300 | 9.4% higher in A |
| Median household income | $80,360 | $79,085 | 1.6% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 106.3 | 93.6 | 13.5% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 128.6 | 89.2 | 44.3% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 109.1 | 120.5 | 9.5% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 110.0 | 128.1 | 14.1% lower in A |
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 $94,152 in Tacoma to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Tacoma, WA is about 5.8% cheaper overall than Federal Way, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 10% lower in Tacoma than in Federal Way. If you earn $80,000 in Federal Way, you'd need about $75,321 in Tacoma to keep the same standard of living.