Burien, WA vs Federal Way, WA: Crime Rate Comparison (2025)
A side-by-side look at reported crime in Burien and Federal Way, on the FBI-based Crime Index (0–100, higher = safer) for 2025.
Burien is the safer city
Burien scores 63/100 (grade C) versus 62/100 (grade C) for Federal Way — a 1-point gap. Federal Way's violent-crime rate is in line with Burien. Across the 8 offense categories, Burien has the lower rate in 2.
Burien, WA
SaferCrime Index
- Population
- 52,062
- Violent / 100k
- 340
- Property / 100k
- 2,482
- In Washington
- #16 of 25
Federal Way, WA
Crime Index
- Population
- 100,076
- Violent / 100k
- 352
- Property / 100k
- 2,668
- In Washington
- #18 of 25
Crime rates head-to-head
| Metric | Burien | Federal Way | US average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Index (higher = safer) | 63C | 62C | 73C |
| Violent crime /100k | 340 | 352 | 315 |
| Property crime /100k | 2,482 | 2,668 | 1,487 |
| Homicide /100k | 9.6 | 8 | 4.1 |
| Total reported /100k | 2,822 | 3,020 | 1,802 |
Grade shown per index band (88–100 = A … 0–29 = F). Rates are reported offenses per 100,000 residents.
By offense
Rate per 100,000 residents — the lower (safer) city is highlighted.
| Offense | Burien | Federal Way |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 9.6 | 8 |
| Rape | 73 | 58 |
| Robbery | 92.2 | 68.9 |
| Aggravated assault | 165 | 217 |
| Burglary | 280 | 250 |
| Larceny-theft | 1,521 | 1,931 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 657 | 472 |
| Arson | 23 | 16 |
Crime trends
Burien
Federal Way
Frequently asked questions
Is Burien or Federal Way safer?
Which has more violent crime, Burien or Federal Way?
What are the odds of violent crime in Burien vs Federal Way?
No area has zero risk
A high Crime Index score means lower reported crime relative to other US cities — it is not a guarantee of safety. Reported crime is not the same as actual crime. Research on the gap between crime that occurs and crime that gets reported to police — often called the "dark figure" of crime — estimates that roughly 40% of violent crime and about a third of property crime go unreported each year. Every index built on official statistics, including this one, necessarily undercounts real crime. That gap is exactly why homicide — the offense with the smallest dark figure — anchors the calculation instead of a more commonly reported but less reliable category like theft.
Scores on this page reflect FBI-reported data for 2025. See the full methodology →
Protecting yourself in Burien & Federal Way
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