Tacoma vs Federal Way
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $479,600 in Tacoma and $552,800 in Federal Way.
- Tacoma is growing faster: +4.6% since 2020 vs -1.3%.
- Commutes are shorter in Tacoma (29 vs 32 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Tacoma, WA | Federal Way, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 229,816 | 99,729 |
| Growth since 2020 | +4.6% | -1.3% |
| People per square mile | 4,622 | 4,469 |
| Median age | 37.2 | 37.4 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35% | 31% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $85,884 | $86,909 |
| Median home value | $479,600 | $552,800 |
| Home value to income | 5.6× | 6.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,676 | $1,797 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 111.1 | 111.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 151.3 | 151.3 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $83,300 | $83,300 |
| Homeowners | 56% | 55% |
| Top state income tax | None | None |
| Combined sales tax | 9.57% | 9.57% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 28.8 | 32.1 |
| Work from home | 16% | 14% |
| Take public transit | 4% | 5% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.6% | 5.4% |
| Poverty rate | 12.4% | 13% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 48° / 38° | 48° / 38° |
| July high / low | 77° / 57° | 77° / 57° |
| Precipitation per year | 39 in | 39 in |
| Snowfall per year | 6 in | 6 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 4 | 4 |
| Nights below freezing | 25 | 25 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 98.5 | 99.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 56% | 56% |
| Home prices, past year | +1.9% | +0.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +28.5% | +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: Tacoma: May to September. Federal Way: May to September.
Full monthly tables: Tacoma 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 $83,300 in Tacoma and $83,300 in Federal Way. Moving from Tacoma to Federal Way, you would need about $75,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Tacoma and Federal Way
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Tacoma and Federal Way.
Which would you pick?
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