Population

Federal Way

99,232

Santa Maria

109,880

Median Income

Federal Way

$82,144

Santa Maria

$84,617

Home Value

Federal Way

$499,600

Santa Maria

$478,200

Rent

Federal Way

$1,738

Santa Maria

$1,842

Crime Rate

Federal Way

5.45

Santa Maria

6.61

Cost of Living

Federal Way

154.3

Santa Maria

151.5

Avg Temp

Federal Way

N/A

Santa Maria

N/A

Unemployment

Federal Way

5.9%

Santa Maria

7.1%

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How Similar Are Federal Way & Santa Maria?

Santa Maria is Federal Way's #15 most similar city

5/10

5 of 10 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Federal Way

99,232

vs

Santa Maria

109,880

Match · 10% difference

Both cities have similar populations — Federal Way at 99,232 and Santa Maria at 109,880.

Violent Crime

Federal Way

5.45

vs

Santa Maria

6.61

Different · 17% difference
🚨

Santa Maria has a 17% higher violent crime than Federal Way.

Property Crime

🔒

Federal Way

43.72

vs

Santa Maria

18.83

Different · 57% difference

Federal Way's property crime is significantly higher than Santa Maria's — 57% difference.

Political Leaning

Federal Way

22.5%

vs

Santa Maria

35.1%

Different · 36% difference
🗳️

Both cities lean Democratic, but Santa Maria has a stronger Democratic lean (36% difference).

Unemployment

💼

Federal Way

5.9%

vs

Santa Maria

7.1%

Different · 17% difference

Santa Maria has a 17% higher unemployment than Federal Way.

Median Income

Federal Way

$82,144

vs

Santa Maria

$84,617

Match · 3% difference
💰

Both cities have similar median income — just a 3% difference.

Home Values

🏠

Federal Way

$499,600

vs

Santa Maria

$478,200

Match · 4% difference

Both cities have similar home values — just a 4% difference.

Education

Federal Way

21.3%

vs

Santa Maria

8.5%

Different · 60% difference
🎓

Federal Way's education is significantly higher than Santa Maria's — 60% difference.

Demographics

🌍

Federal Way

38.8%

vs

Santa Maria

37.0%

Match · 5% difference

Both cities have similar demographics — just a 5% difference.

Cost of Living

Federal Way

154.3

vs

Santa Maria

151.5

Match · 2% difference
💵

Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 2% difference.

5 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Federal Way and Santa Maria share several key characteristics.

At a Glance

0

Federal Way

vsof 8

0

Santa Maria

Santa Maria leads in 4 of 8 categories

Cost of Living & Affordability — Santa Maria leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

Federal Way has a fair market rent (1br) of $2,146 vs $2,746 in Santa Maria (22% lower). Federal Way has a fair market rent (2br) of $2,501 vs $3,124 in Santa Maria (20% lower). Santa Maria scores 108.5 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 127.0 in Federal Way.

Overall Cost Index

Federal Way154.3
Santa Maria151.5

Housing Index

Federal Way215.4
Santa Maria212.3

Food Index

Federal Way112.8
Santa Maria114.7

Transportation Index

Federal Way127.0
Santa Maria108.5

Healthcare Index

Federal Way110.2
Santa Maria111.7

Utilities Index

Federal Way130.8
Santa Maria131.3

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Federal Way$67,891
Santa Maria$66,656

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Federal Way$160,470
Santa Maria$157,550

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Federal Way$2,146
Santa Maria$2,746

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Federal Way$2,501
Santa Maria$3,124

Housing Market

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Santa Maria has a median property tax of $3,274 vs $4,408 in Federal Way (35% lower). Santa Maria has a vacancy rate of 3.7% compared to 4.8% in Federal Way. Santa Maria has a single-family homes of 66.0% compared to 52.1% in Federal Way.

Median Home Value

Federal Way$499,600
Santa Maria$478,200

Median Rent

Federal Way$1,738
Santa Maria$1,842

Median Property Tax

Federal Way$4,408
Santa Maria$3,274

Owner-Occupied

Federal Way55.7%
Santa Maria51.2%

Vacancy Rate

Federal Way4.8%
Santa Maria3.7%

Single-Family Homes

Federal Way52.1%
Santa Maria66.0%

Jobs & Economy

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Federal Way has a work from home of 12.5% compared to 5.3% in Santa Maria. Federal Way has a per capita income of $39,547 vs $26,772 in Santa Maria (48% higher). Santa Maria: 21 min vs Federal Way: 28 min for mean commute.

Median Household Income

Federal Way$82,144
Santa Maria$84,617

Per Capita Income

Federal Way$39,547
Santa Maria$26,772

Poverty Rate

Federal Way12.7%
Santa Maria15.5%

Unemployment Rate

Federal Way5.9%
Santa Maria7.1%

Labor Force

Federal Way51,743
Santa Maria53,056

Mean Commute

Federal Way28 min
Santa Maria21 min

Work from Home

Federal Way12.5%
Santa Maria5.3%

Private Sector

Federal Way97.2%
Santa MariaN/A

Government Sector

Federal Way45.5%
Santa Maria47.2%

Crime & Safety — Santa Maria leads

Source: FBI UCR

Santa Maria has a property crime rate (per 1k) of 18.83 compared to 43.72 in Federal Way. Santa Maria has a larceny rate (per 1k) of 11.49 compared to 26.55 in Federal Way. Santa Maria has a murder rate (per 1k) of 0.03 compared to 0.05 in Federal Way.

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

Federal Way5.45
Santa Maria6.61

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

Federal Way43.72
Santa Maria18.83

Murder Rate (per 1K)

Federal Way0.05
Santa Maria0.03

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

Federal Way1.50
Santa Maria1.74

Assault Rate (per 1K)

Federal Way3.38
Santa Maria4.16

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

Federal Way5.73
Santa Maria3.13

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

Federal Way26.55
Santa Maria11.49

Violent Crime Clearance

Federal Way38.3%
Santa Maria33.3%

Property Crime Clearance

Federal Way9.2%
Santa Maria10.6%

Weather & Climate

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Avg Annual Temperature

Federal WayN/A
Santa MariaN/A

Avg Annual High

Federal WayN/A
Santa MariaN/A

Avg Annual Low

Federal WayN/A
Santa MariaN/A

Sunny Days per Year

Federal WayN/A
Santa MariaN/A

Annual Rainfall

Federal WayN/A
Santa MariaN/A

Annual Snowfall

Federal WayN/A
Santa MariaN/A

Avg Humidity

Federal WayN/A
Santa MariaN/A

Schools & Education — Federal Way leads

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Federal Way has a bachelor's degree or higher of 21.3% compared to 8.5% in Santa Maria. Federal Way has a high school diploma or higher of 39.6% compared to 20.6% in Santa Maria.

Public Schools

Federal Way0
Santa Maria0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

Federal WayN/A
Santa MariaN/A

Colleges & Universities

Federal Way0
Santa Maria0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Federal Way21.3%
Santa Maria8.5%

High School Diploma or Higher

Federal Way39.6%
Santa Maria20.6%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Santa Maria has a population of 109,880, about 1.1x the size of Federal Way (99,232). Santa Maria skews younger with a median age of 29.3 vs 37.6.

Population

Federal Way99,232
Santa Maria109,880

Median Age

Federal Way38
Santa Maria29

Avg Household Size

Federal Way2.7
Santa Maria3.7

Married Population

Federal Way39.7%
Santa Maria32.7%

Foreign Born

Federal Way29.1%
Santa Maria32.7%

White

Federal Way38.8%
Santa Maria37.0%

Black

Federal Way17.8%
Santa Maria1.0%

Hispanic

Federal Way19.0%
Santa Maria78.9%

Asian

Federal Way14.5%
Santa Maria4.3%

Federal Way

Santa Maria

Healthcare — Santa Maria leads

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

Santa Maria: 5 vs Federal Way: 4 for with emergency services.

Nearby Hospitals

Federal Way5
Santa Maria5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Federal Way2.8
Santa Maria2.8

With Emergency Services

Federal Way4
Santa Maria5

Transportation & Commute — Santa Maria leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Federal Way has a public transit of 5.2% compared to 1.6% in Santa Maria. Federal Way has a work from home of 12.5% compared to 5.3% in Santa Maria. Santa Maria has a bicycle of 0.3% compared to 0.1% in Federal Way.

Mean Commute Time

Federal Way28 min
Santa Maria21 min

Drive Alone

Federal Way68.0%
Santa Maria71.8%

Public Transit

Federal Way5.2%
Santa Maria1.6%

Bicycle

Federal Way0.1%
Santa Maria0.3%

Work from Home

Federal Way12.5%
Santa Maria5.3%

Airports

Federal Way0
Santa Maria0

Cities Similar to Federal Way, WA

Compare Federal Way against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.

🧬

City Comparison

8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.

PopulationIncomeHome ValueSafetyEducationMedian AgeClimateCost of Living

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