Clifton vs Federal Way
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $461,900 in Clifton and $552,800 in Federal Way.
- Households earn more in Clifton ($98,237 vs $86,909 median).
- Federal Way has the warmer winter: January highs of 48°F vs 40°F.
- Clifton gets far more snow: 30 inches a year vs 6.
- Clifton is growing faster: +1.4% since 2020 vs -1.3%.
- Commutes are shorter in Clifton (28 vs 32 minutes each way).
- Washington has no state income tax on wages; New Jersey's top rate is 10.75%.
Side by side
| Clifton, NJ | Federal Way, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 91,127 | 99,729 |
| Growth since 2020 | +1.4% | -1.3% |
| People per square mile | 8,082 | 4,469 |
| Median age | 41.6 | 37.4 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36% | 31% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $98,237 | $86,909 |
| Median home value | $461,900 | $552,800 |
| Home value to income | 4.7× | 6.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,711 | $1,797 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 112.6 | 111.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 148.6 | 151.3 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $84,400 | $83,300 |
| Homeowners | 60% | 55% |
| Top state income tax | 10.75% | None |
| Combined sales tax | 6.6% | 9.57% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 28.3 | 32.1 |
| Work from home | 13% | 14% |
| Take public transit | 9% | 5% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 7.1% | 5.4% |
| Poverty rate | 7.9% | 13% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 40° / 28° | 48° / 38° |
| July high / low | 85° / 70° | 77° / 57° |
| Precipitation per year | 50 in | 39 in |
| Snowfall per year | 30 in | 6 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 17 | 4 |
| Nights below freezing | 67 | 25 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 95.8 | 99.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 42% | 56% |
| Home prices, past year | +5.7% | +0.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +45.1% | +24.6% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Clifton: May and September to October. Federal Way: May to September.
Full monthly tables: Clifton weather by month and Federal Way weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $84,400 in Clifton and $83,300 in Federal Way. Moving from Clifton to Federal Way, you would need about $74,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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