Lake Stevens receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lake Stevens
Federal Way
Opportunity
52 · Bottom 41%
vs37 · Bottom 13%
Growth
43 · Bottom 37%
vs28 · Bottom 14%
Climate
74 · Top 35%
vs74 · Top 35%
Physical resilience
45 · Bottom 35%
vs41 · Bottom 31%
Housing affordability
68 · Bottom 30%
vs54 · Bottom 14%
Access
79 · Bottom 21%
vs95 · Top 40%
Economic stability
80 · Top 8%
vs59 · Bottom 48%
Measured values
| Metric | Lake Stevens | Federal Way | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 40,253 | 99,493 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $122,336 | $86,909 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $49,103 | $40,975 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,962/sq mi | 4,459/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $635,600 | $552,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,224 | $1,797 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 75.6% | 55.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 5.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.5% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.0% | 30.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.2% | 13.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 98 | 93 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.4 | 0.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -68.5% | -8.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 72°F | 77°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.4" | 39.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 34 mi | 10 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 37.7 min | 34.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.7 | 37.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 16 | 32 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.46 | 18.18 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 32.6% | 73.4% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Lake Stevens
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Federal Way
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Lake Stevens
63
Your Score
58
Area Score
Federal Way
55
Your Score
49
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Lake Stevens, WA · Federal Way, WA · How this is calculated: methodology