Seattle/Compare
Ballard vs Capitol Hill
Ballard and Capitol Hill are two official districts in Seattle. Ballard is the calmer Part I map (47 vs 16). Capitol Hill wins the errand count. Capitol Hill has the lower ACS median ($2,009).
Data vintage. ACS 2024 5-year · SPD Oct 2025 – Sep 2026 · OSM Sep 2026 · updated Sep 2026
Scores
Fit axes among official Seattle Neighborhood Map Atlas districts.
| Axis | Ballard | Capitol Hill |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 47 | 16 |
| Schools | 68 | 55 |
| Walk | 35 | 48 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 30 | 47 |
| Median rent | $2,263 | $2,009 |
| Median home | $981,868 | $1,299,835 |
| Population | 45,725 | 54,149 |
| Commute to Downtown | 22 min | 12 min |
| Commute to South Lake Union | 18 min | 10 min |
| Commute to University | 22 min | 16 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Ballard | Capitol Hill |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 51% | 68% |
| Median age | 36.7 | 36.4 |
| Median income | $153K | $133K |
| Part I per 1k | 44.2 | 55.9 |
| Groceries / 800m | 23 | 26 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 119 | 152 |
| Parks / 800m | 53 | 87 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,049 | 1,350 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Seattle city. Up 79% since 2014. Ballard is 11% above the 2024 city median. Cap Hill is 1% below 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 Ballard if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the school rating nearby is the point. Safety is 47 vs 16. Schools score 68 vs 55. Ballard is tagged family on this map; Capitol Hill is not. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Capitol Hill if you want the cafes and the night and you want the errands on foot. Vibe is 47 vs 30. Walk is 48 vs 35. ACS median rent is $2,009 vs $2,263. Read both pages before you decide.
Ballard
Old fishing town, new apartments. The locks and the Sunday market set the postcard; Ballard Avenue sets the night.
$2,263 median rent · safety 47 · walk 35
Capitol Hill
Search Broadway or Pike/Pine; the official district also swallows Madison Park and Montlake. Night on one edge, lake money on the other.
$2,009 median rent · safety 16 · walk 48
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Ballard or Capitol Hill?
Capitol Hill is the lower ACS median: $2,263 vs $2,009. About 68% rent in Capitol Hill vs 51% in Ballard. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Ballard more walkable than Capitol Hill?
Capitol Hill wins the errand count (walk 35 vs 48). Groceries inside 800 meters: 23 vs 26. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Ballard or Capitol Hill?
Ballard is the calmer Part I read (47 vs 16). Combined rate 44.2 vs 55.9 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Ballard or Capitol Hill?
Ballard leads the school axis (68 vs 55). Nearby rating is 7.6 / 10 vs 7.2 / 10. Median age 36.7 vs 36.4. Capitol Hill has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
22 minutes from Ballard to Downtown, 12 from Capitol Hill. Capitol Hill is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official district that is not Ballard or Capitol Hill: North Central. The official district glues Fremont, Wallingford, Green Lake, and Phinney Ridge. Search those names. The troll, the lake loop, and the Sunday streets are all in here.
Scores are relative among official Seattle Neighborhood Map Atlas districts with the same editorial weights. Read the method.