Los Angeles/Compare
Downtown vs Silver Lake
Downtown and Silver Lake are two official neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Silver Lake is the calmer Part I map (19 vs 0). Downtown wins the errand count. Silver Lake has the lower ACS median ($2,105).
Data vintage. ACS 2024 5-year · LAPD Oct 2025 – Aug 2026 · OSM Sep 2026 · updated Sep 2026
Scores
Fit axes among official Los Angeles neighborhoods.
| Axis | Downtown | Silver Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 0 | 19 |
| Schools | 0 | 57 |
| Walk | 100 | 11 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 100 | 18 |
| Median rent | $2,275 | $2,105 |
| Median home | $787,302 | $1,544,631 |
| Population | 63,030 | 28,946 |
| Commute to Downtown | 6 min | 21 min |
| Commute to Westside | 42 min | 29 min |
| Commute to Hollywood | 34 min | 19 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Downtown | Silver Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 90% | 60% |
| Median age | 38 | 40.8 |
| Median income | $68K | $123K |
| Part I per 1k | 129.9 | 30.6 |
| Groceries / 800m | 30 | 10 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 394 | 50 |
| Parks / 800m | 72 | 15 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,934 | 616 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Los Angeles city. Up 62% since 2014. DTLA is 18% above the 2024 city median. Silver is 9% above the 2024 city median.
Overlapping 5-year ACS windows (B25064), not asking rent. Census does not publish a rent series for each official neighborhood, so the line is the city place. Dashed marks are each area’s ACS 2024 median.
Which to pick
The same numbers as the table, in sentences. Nobody wins the city.
Pick Downtown if you want the errands on foot and you want the cafes and the night. Walk is 100 vs 11. Vibe is 100 vs 18. 6 vs 21 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Silver Lake if the school rating nearby is the point and the quieter map matters more than the scene. Schools score 57 vs 0. Safety is 19 vs 0. ACS median rent is $2,105 vs $2,275. Read both pages before you decide.
Downtown
Towers, the Arts District, and a crime file inflated by visitors. New-urban living with a nightlife tax — same pattern as the Loop or FiDi.
$2,275 median rent · safety 0 · walk 100
Silver Lake
The reservoir, Sunset Junction, and hills that make every errand a climb. Eastside that still feels like a neighborhood, not a brand.
$2,105 median rent · safety 19 · walk 11
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Downtown or Silver Lake?
Silver Lake is the lower ACS median: $2,275 vs $2,105. About 60% rent in Silver Lake vs 90% in Downtown. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Downtown more walkable than Silver Lake?
Downtown wins the errand count (walk 100 vs 11). Groceries inside 800 meters: 30 vs 10. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Downtown or Silver Lake?
Silver Lake is the calmer Part I read (19 vs 0). Combined rate 30.6 vs 129.9 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Downtown or Silver Lake?
Silver Lake leads the school axis (57 vs 0). Nearby rating is 7.0 / 10 vs 4.6 / 10. Median age 40.8 vs 38. Downtown has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
6 minutes from Downtown to Downtown, 21 from Silver Lake. Downtown is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official neighborhood that is not Downtown or Silver Lake: Koreatown. 24-hour food, the Purple Line, and the densest rentals in the subset. Walkable central LA that still has a nightlife clock.
Scores are relative among official Los Angeles neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.