Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Federal Way grades C− overall, ranked 242nd of 285 in Washington, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 80% of the country and it is more walkable than 94% of U.S. towns. On the other side, it reports more crime per resident than 94% of U.S. towns, including 350 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. Federal Way’s trail density is 1.3 miles per square mile, where Washington’s towns sit at 0.8 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Federal Way's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 90% of U.S. towns. The biggest place to walk is Dash Point State Park, 292 acres with 3.2 miles of trail.
Where Federal Way beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
89,306 counted in 2010 and 101,030 in 2020; an estimated 99,729 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far Federal Way is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 67,554 in 1990, 101,030 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 1908 and 5 maps from 1949 on.
Explore the history →Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Federal Way. Close and well known come first.
Big draw21 mi LookoutSpace Needle
Big draw20 mi Stadium & arenaLumen Field
Big draw22 mi Stadium & arenaClimate Pledge Arena
in town Theme parkWild Waves Theme Park
19 mi Stadium & arenaT-Mobile Park
7 mi Stadium & arenaTacoma DomeSpace Needle: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lumen Field: "Smart Destinations", GoSeattleCard.com, and Go Seattle Card Blog, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Climate Pledge Arena: Sea Cow, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wild Waves Theme Park: Jessica Spengler from Hove, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0 · T-Mobile Park: MyName (Cacophony), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Tacoma Dome: Broran28, Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Federal Way, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Federal Way.
Federal Way has fewer 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and has seen reported crime fall by about half.
Reported crimes fell from 5,831 to 3,002 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Federal Way’s property crime rate is 26.5 per 1,000 residents, against 15 in Washington’s towns and 9.9 across U.S. towns. Federal Way’s violent crime rate is 3.5 per 1,000 residents. Federal Way reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 94% report less.
| Federal Way | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 26.5 per 1,000 residents | 15 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.5 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Federal Way School District. Two of its 38 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacajawea Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 668 | – |
| Federal Way High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,665 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduation
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dash Point State Park | 3.2 mi | 292 |
| 2. Celebration Park | 2.7 mi | 74 |
| 3. West Hylebos Wetlands Park | 1.1 mi | 63 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
27% of adults have obesity in Federal Way. Federal Way beats the Washington average on 3 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 70% of adults had a checkup this year in Federal Way.
| Federal Way | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 33% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 71% | 79% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 11% | 14% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 7.8% | 8.1% |
| What stands out | Federal Way | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.5% | 7.9% |
| Fewer adults with obesity | 27% | 30.6% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 14.6% | 10.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave Federal Way for work: only 10% work in town. The average trip to work in Federal Way is 32 minutes. Since 2013, Federal Way has added 1,546 jobs, to 29,890 in 2023.
| Federal Way | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 4.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $87,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The Seattle Tacoma Intl Ap weather station, 9 miles away, records that about 4 days a year reach 90°, fewer than in 98% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 76.7°, cooler than in 97% of U.S. towns; January nights average 35.8°.
Federal Way has mild winters and pleasant summers. About 6 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Federal Way | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 77°F | 77°F | 85°F |
| January low | 36°F | 35°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 64% of U.S. communities. Since 2012, 10 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Federal Way.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Washington average. 15% of Federal Way residents are 65 or older. 31% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 40% across Washington.
| Federal Way | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 15% | 16% | 18% |
| Median age | 37.4 years | 38.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 23% | 22% | 22% |
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.3 points. Across Washington, 49.6% of residents are women. Median age: women 38.8, men 36.1.
| Federal Way | WA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.3% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.5% | 9.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.2% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16% | 15.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.7% | 14.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.2% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.1% | 12% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.1% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11% | 7.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 26.7% | 21.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.9% | 21% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.6% | 10% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.2% | 24% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.6% | 15.6% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The typical Federal Way home is worth about $582,000, down 0.6% in a year, close to the Washington typical home.
| Federal Way | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 55% | 71% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 61% | 51% | 48% |
| Median rent | $1,797 a month | $1,737 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
12 within 15 miles of the center of Federal Way
About 6 of every 100 Federal Way residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Washington.
Where Federal Way’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
18 notable people were born in Federal Way.
6 towns share a border with Federal Way.
All 6 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its C−; Tacoma (C−) is closest.
| Town | WA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Way | #242 | C− | C− | D | C− | A− |
| Lakeland South | #162 | C+ | D | — | C | A |
| Lakeland North | #199 | C | D | — | C− | A− |
| Des Moines | #235 | C− | D | C− | C− | A− |
| Milton | #210 | C− | D | C− | B− | B |
| Auburn | #214 | C− | D | D | B− | A− |
| Tacoma | #234 | C− | C− | D− | C+ | B |
Lakeland South and Lakeland North report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Federal Way with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Federal Way grades C− overall, better than 15% of U.S. towns and #242 of 285 in Washington. It grades A− for health, D for safety and C− for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. That is 5 years of the area's median household income ($115,177 across the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
