Federal Way home values

Federal Way
Washington · City report
Typical value $580K · 10 neighborhoods · Values through Aug 2026

Federal Way at a glance

  • Zillow’s Home Value Index puts the typical home at $579,800 (Aug 2026), −0.2% over the past 12 months and +12% over five years.
  • The Census median home value in Federal Way is about $485,500 — 31% below Washington overall and 43% above the U.S. median.
  • Median household income is about $86,000; median rent about $1,760/month.
Value trend

Federal Way home value trend

$580K
Typical value (Aug 2026)
−0.2%
1-year change
+12%
5-year change
+96%
10-year change
Federal Way typical home value, Aug 2016 to Aug 2026$400K$600K$800K20182020202220242026
Federal WayWashington

Over the 12 months to Aug 2026, typical home values in Federal Way were essentially flat, to about $579,800. That is 1.1 percentage points faster than Washington (−1.3%). Values are 3.1% below their peak of $598,600 in Feb 2025. Over five years the typical home gained $61,500 in value (+12%).

Year-by-year values
MonthTypical valueChange vs year before
Aug 2026$579,800−0.2%
Aug 2025$581,000−0.8%
Aug 2024$585,400+4.0%
Aug 2023$563,100−3.4%
Aug 2022$582,800+12.4%
Aug 2021$518,300+24.5%
Aug 2020$416,200+10.6%
Aug 2019$376,300+2.2%
Aug 2018$368,200+10.9%
Aug 2017$331,900+12.4%
Aug 2016$295,400—

Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), typical value of mid-tier homes, smoothed & seasonally adjusted. Areas with several ZIPs: population-weighted.

Background

About Federal Way

Federal Way is a city in King County, Washington, United States, and part of the Seattle metropolitan area. It is 25 miles (40 km) south of Seattle and had a population was 101,030 at the 2020 census. Federal Way is the 10th most populous city in Washington and the fifth most populous in King County.

Source: en.wikipedia.org (CC BY-SA)

Value score

Federal Way home value score

3.7
Value Score / 10
Census-based
from local value, rent & income

In Federal Way (2 ZIPs), prices are high relative to rents (a low gross yield), and homes are expensive against local incomes.

How the Value Score is built

Rental yield1.9 / 10
Gross annual rent as a share of home value — 4.4% here. Higher means stronger cash flow.
Affordability5.4 / 10
Home value versus local income — 5.6× here. Lower is more affordable.

Computed figures

4.4%
Gross rental yield
5.6×
Price-to-income
+43%
Value vs U.S.

A transparent value snapshot — computed from U.S. Census ACS (2023) for Federal Way (2 ZIPs): home value, gross rent and household income. It is not a market-timing or appreciation forecast.

Neighborhoods

Federal Way neighborhoods compared

NameHome value1-yrIncomeRentPrice / income
Campus Drive ZIP 98023 · shared$546K−1.2%$102K$1,8755.4×
Dash Point ZIP 98023 · shared$546K−1.2%$102K$1,8755.4×
Downtown Federal Way city data$429K+0.7%$71K$1,6506.1×
East Campus city data$429K+0.7%$71K$1,6506.1×
Marine Hills ZIP 98063 · shared—————
Mirror Lake ZIP 98063 · shared—————
Redondo ZIP 98063 · shared—————
Steel Lake city data$429K+0.7%$71K$1,6506.1×
Twin Lakes ZIP 98023 · shared$546K−1.2%$102K$1,8755.4×
West Campus city data$429K+0.7%$71K$1,6506.1×

Home value, income and rent: Census ACS medians; 1-yr: Zillow ZHVI change over 12 months. Tap a column heading to sort.

Comparison

Federal Way vs Washington and the U.S.

Federal WayWashingtonU.S.
Typical value (Zillow, Aug 2026)$579,800$733,800—
1-year change−0.2%−1.3%—
5-year change+12%+8%—
Median home value (Census)$485,500$706,000$340,200
Median household income$86,000$107,100$78,500
Median gross rent$1,760/mo$1,807/mo$1,406/mo
Price-to-income ratio5.6×6.6×4.3×
Gross rental yield4.4%3.1%5.0%
Rent as share of income25%20%21%
Mortgage payment*$2,455/mo$3,570/mo$1,720/mo

Census figures: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates; areas spanning several ZIPs use population-weighted averages of ZIP medians, and city/state columns cover the ZIPs of the places listed on this site. Zillow: ZHVI. *Principal & interest on the Census median value, 20% down, 6.5% fixed, 30 years.

Buying vs renting

What it costs to buy a home in Federal Way

$580K
Typical price
$116K
Down payment (20%)
$2,932
Monthly P&I
$1,760
Median rent

At today’s typical value of $579,800 (Zillow, Aug 2026), a buyer putting 20% down ($115,960) and financing the rest at 6.5% over 30 years would pay about $2,932 a month in principal and interest — 41% of the median household income here. That is well above the common 28% guideline, so buying here typically takes an above-median income, a larger down payment or existing equity. The median rent is $1,760/month, so owning costs roughly 67% more per month than renting, before taxes, insurance and upkeep — the trade-off is building equity.

Estimate only: excludes property tax, insurance, HOA and PMI, which vary by property. Incomes and rents are the latest Census (ACS 2023) figures. Run your own numbers in the estimator below.

Take-aways

What this means for buyers, sellers and investors in Federal Way

Buyers

At 5.6× local income, this is a premium market; expect competition for the few homes at the lower end of the range.

Sellers

Values are down 0.2% on the year, so price to today’s market rather than last year’s peak — and get a home-specific estimate: condition and size move the number more than the area average.

Investors

A gross rental yield of 4.4% is low — this is an appreciation play rather than a cash-flow market.

Common questions

Federal Way real estate FAQ

Are home prices going up in Federal Way?

Roughly flat — the Zillow Home Value Index for Federal Way fell 0.2% in the 12 months to Aug 2026, to about $579,800. Washington changed −1.3% over the same period. Over five years values are +12%.

What is the typical home value in Federal Way?

The median owner-occupied home in Federal Way is valued at about $485,500 according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s ACS 2023 5-year estimates — 43% above the U.S. median and 31% below Washington. Zillow’s more current index puts the typical home at about $579,800.

Is Federal Way affordable?

Homes cost about 5.6× the median household income of $86,000, which makes it an expensive market relative to local earnings. At today’s typical value of about $579,800, principal and interest would take about 41% of that income.

How much is rent in Federal Way?

Median gross rent (rent plus utilities) is about $1,760 a month, 25% above the U.S. median, or 25% of the median household income.

Is Federal Way good for rental property investment?

The gross rental yield — a year of median rent divided by the typical home value — is 4.4%. That is low, so investors here usually rely on appreciation rather than rental income.
Your home

What’s your Federal Way home worth?

Just lookingColdReady to sell

Estimates are informational only and are not an appraisal.

Methodology

About this data

Data last updated: September 2026.

Current values and trends use the Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) — the typical value of mid-tier homes, smoothed and seasonally adjusted — through Aug 2026. It is refreshed monthly.

Median values, incomes, rents, housing stock and commutes come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates at ZIP Code Tabulation Area level. City and state figures are population-weighted averages of their ZIPs.

The Value Score (0–10) blends gross rental yield and price-to-income affordability. It is a value snapshot, not a forecast.

Mortgage figures assume 20% down and a 6.5% fixed 30-year loan, principal and interest only.

These are area-level statistics, not an appraisal of any individual property, and not financial advice.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS · Zillow ZHVI.