Housing data for Federal Way, WA
Federal Way, WA has an estimated 99,493 residents and 37,479 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in King County.
44.7% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,797 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+3.1%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 99,493 (±51)
- Housing units
- 37,479 (±868)
- Households that rent
- 44.7%
- Median gross rent
- $1,797
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +3.1%
What stands out in Federal Way
Median home value: $552,800 (±$13,668) in Federal Way, lower than in King County ($859,900).
Working from home: 13.7% (±1.9 points) in Federal Way, lower than in King County (29.2%).
Median real estate taxes: $4,706 (±$150) in Federal Way, lower than in King County ($7,114).
Households without a vehicle: 6.3% (±1.0 points) in Federal Way, lower than in King County (11.2%).
Housing in Federal Way at a glance
- Median rent: $1,797 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $1,837 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 61.4% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 44.7% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $86,909 median household income
- Home values: $552,800 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $2,351 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $4,706 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 33.1% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 56.5% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 40.2% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 4.4% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 58.2% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 32.1 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: +3.1% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 26.9% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 6.6% of homes have more than 1 person per room
- Fair Market Rent: $2,340 Small Area FMR, 2 bedrooms (ZIP 98023)
Federal Way against King County, its state and the nation
| Federal Way | King County | Washington | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 99,493 (±51) | 2,287,171 (exact) | 7,816,116 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 37,479 (±868) | 1,003,284 (±329) | 3,306,620 (±517) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 44.7% (±2.1 points) | 44.6% (±0.4 points) | 36.2% (±0.3 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,797 (±$41) | $2,092 (±$13) | $1,760 (±$7) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $86,909 (±$3,723) | $124,746 (±$968) | $98,141 (±$414) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $552,800 (±$13,668) | $859,900 (±$4,853) | $564,600 (±$1,940) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $4,706 (±$150) | $7,114 (±$40) | $4,556 (±$16) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 40.2% (±2.4 points) | 45.5% (±0.5 points) | 43.4% (±0.3 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 32.1 minutes (±0.9) | 27.6 minutes (±0.2) | 26.6 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 94.0% (±1.3 points) | 95.1% (±0.2 points) | 93.6% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 37.4 years (±1.0) | 37.4 years (±0.2) | 38.3 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Federal Way covers 22.3 square miles of land, about 4,459 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Federal Way has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 96,526 (±46) | 99,493 (±51) | +3.1% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 36,795 (±684) | 37,479 (±868) | +1.9% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $1,334 (±$31) | $1,797 (±$41) | +34.7% | Up after inflation |
| Median home value | $328,800 (±$6,924) | $552,800 (±$13,668) | +68.1% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $67,347 (±$2,039) | $86,909 (±$3,723) | +29.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,892 (±$38) | $2,351 (±$92) | +24.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $3,595 (±$93) | $4,706 (±$150) | +30.9% | Up after inflation |
| Households that rent | 44.2% (±1.6 points) | 44.7% (±2.1 points) | +0.5 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 4.1% (±1.5 points) | 4.4% (±1.7 points) | +0.3 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in King County
Federal Way has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for King County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for King County recorded 350 violent and 2,711 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
ZIP codes in Federal Way
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 98023 | 100% | 50,448 | $1,900 | $589,900 | $104,893 |
| 98003 | 89% | 51,619 | $1,723 | $476,600 | $75,319 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Federal Way
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeland North | 3.1 mi | $2,340 | $557,000 | 28.3% |
| Lakeland South | 3.5 mi | $1,899 | $589,300 | 24.1% |
| Fife Heights | 3.5 mi | $2,542 | $712,400 | 4.0% |
| Milton | 4.2 mi | $2,199 | $539,700 | 45.0% |
| Algona | 4.6 mi | $1,838 | $441,500 | 16.9% |
| Pacific | 5.3 mi | $1,692 | $489,100 | 41.8% |
| Des Moines | 5.4 mi | $1,799 | $597,000 | 39.4% |
| Fife | 5.5 mi | $1,889 | $543,100 | 53.7% |
Places in Washington most like Federal Way
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent | $1,909 | $587,800 | $92,302 | 42.8% |
| Puyallup | $1,812 | $551,800 | $97,826 | 47.9% |
| Renton | $1,998 | $672,600 | $100,432 | 45.6% |
| Milton | $2,199 | $539,700 | $96,540 | 45.0% |
| Auburn | $1,786 | $547,900 | $97,884 | 39.4% |
| Everett | $1,740 | $565,300 | $83,512 | 51.0% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Washington.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Federal Way, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,091 | $2,180 | $2,549 | $3,324 | $3,954 |
HUD also publishes a Small Area Fair Market Rent for each ZIP code in the area; the Fair Market Rent page for this place lists its ZIP codes.
HUD income limits for Federal Way, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $34,550 | $57,550 | $81,700 |
| 2 people | $39,450 | $65,800 | $93,350 |
| 3 people | $44,400 | $74,000 | $105,000 |
| 4 people | $49,300 | $82,200 | $116,650 |
| 5 people | $53,250 | $88,800 | $126,000 |
| 6 people | $57,200 | $95,400 | $135,350 |
| 7 people | $61,150 | $101,950 | $144,650 |
| 8 people | $65,100 | $108,550 | $154,000 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $164,400.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Federal Way
What is the average rent in Federal Way, WA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Federal Way is $1,797 (±$41) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Federal Way?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Federal Way, WA is $1,448 (±$69) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Federal Way rent-burdened?
61.4% of renting households in Federal Way pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Federal Way?
Federal Way has an estimated 15,960 (±893) renting households, 44.7% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Federal Way?
The median household income in Federal Way is $86,909 (±$3,723) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Federal Way, WA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $552,800 (±$13,668) for owner-occupied homes in Federal Way (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Federal Way growing?
In Federal Way, the number of residents went from 96,526 in 2015–2019 to 99,493 in 2020–2024 (+3.1%), a measurable increase.
What ZIP codes are in Federal Way?
The ZIP codes that cover Federal Way are 98023, 98003.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 98023?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 98023 is $1,900 (±$74) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Federal Way city, Washington
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Federal Way city, Washington
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Federal Way city, Washington
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Federal Way city, Washington
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Federal Way city, Washington
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Federal Way city, Washington
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Federal Way city, Washington
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Federal Way city, Washington (place:23515, in state:53).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .