Federal Way vs Kent
Federal Way, Washington versus Kent, Washington: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Federal Way and Kent score about the same overall (50 vs 49 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Federal Way | Kent |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $80k | $87k |
| Cost of Living | $56k | $56k |
| Home Value | $454k | $478k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.94% | 1.00% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 9.38% | 9.38% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 8.43% | 8.57% |
| Unemployment | 5.5% | 7.6% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 42°F | 43°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 66°F | 67°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 40.6 in | 44.7 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 6.3 in | 6.3 in |
| Sunny Days | 217 days | 217 days |
| Summer Humidity | 53°F | 53°F |
| Comfortable Days | 115 days | 119 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 66.8 | 53.8 |
| Air Quality | 40 AQI | 41 AQI |
| School Quality | 84.6 | 73.9 |
| Violent Crime | 1479/100k | 1819/100k |
| Property Crime | 5262/100k | 5543/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 99,614 | 135,169 |
| Median Age | 37.4 | 34.7 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.74 | 0.75 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.03 | 1.05 |
| Political Leaning | D+12 | D+12 |
| White (%) | 38.3% | 38.3% |
| Black (%) | 16.2% | 12.6% |
| Hispanic (%) | 18.4% | 16.3% |
| Asian (%) | 14.9% | 22.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 12.3% | 10.4% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 33 min | 31 min |
| Walkability | 12.9/20 | 10.6/20 |
| Airport Distance | 10 mi | 9 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 92.0% | 94.9% |
| Amenities Nearby | 44.57 | 48.61 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Federal Way or Kent more affordable?
- Kent has the lower cost of living: its index is $56k, compared with Federal Way's $56k and Kent's $56k. Median rent is $2k in Federal Way versus $2k in Kent.
- Is Federal Way or Kent safer?
- Federal Way has the lower violent crime rate. Federal Way reports 1479/100k and Kent reports 1819/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Federal Way or Kent?
- The median home value is $454k in Federal Way and $478k in Kent, so homes are more affordable in Federal Way.