City comparison
Federal Way, WA is about 125 miles (175 km) from Vancouver, WA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 150 miles, or about 2 h 30 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 Vancouver, WA takes about 14 min, covering roughly 125 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.
Vancouver has a population of 190,700, vs 99,614 in Federal Way — about 1.9× larger by population. By land area, Vancouver covers about 49 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 | Vancouver | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,660/mo | $1,525/mo | 8.9% higher in Federal Way |
| Median home value | $454,300 | $403,400 | 12.6% higher in Federal Way |
| Median household income | $80,360 | $73,626 | 9.1% higher in Federal Way |
| Groceries index | 104.0 | 105.1 | 1.1% higher in Vancouver |
| Utilities index | 95.7 | 108.6 | 13.5% higher in Vancouver |
| Transportation index | 106.6 | 100.5 | 6.1% higher in Federal Way |
| Healthcare index | 106.6 | 100.5 | 6.1% 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 $90,992 in Vancouver to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Vancouver, WA is about 9% cheaper overall than Federal Way, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 20% higher in Federal Way than in Vancouver. If you earn $80,000 in Federal Way, you'd need about $72,794 in Vancouver to keep the same standard of living.