Seattle/Compare
Ballard vs Lake City
Ballard and Lake City are two official districts in Seattle. Lake City is the calmer Part I map (89 vs 47). Ballard wins the errand count. Lake City has the lower ACS median ($1,923).
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 | Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 47 | 89 |
| Schools | 68 | 48 |
| Walk | 35 | 21 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 30 | 14 |
| Median rent | $2,263 | $1,923 |
| Median home | $981,868 | $972,894 |
| Population | 45,725 | 30,640 |
| Commute to Downtown | 22 min | 28 min |
| Commute to South Lake Union | 18 min | 24 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 | Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 51% | 47% |
| Median age | 36.7 | 39 |
| Median income | $153K | $127K |
| Part I per 1k | 44.2 | 24.5 |
| Groceries / 800m | 23 | 12 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 119 | 99 |
| Parks / 800m | 53 | 68 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,049 | 395 |
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. Lk City is 5% 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 you want the cafes and the night and the school rating nearby is the point. Vibe is 30 vs 14. Schools score 68 vs 48. Walk is 35 vs 21. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Lake City if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the rent gap is the point. Safety is 89 vs 47. ACS median rent is $1,923 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
Lake City
Lake City Way is the strip; Matthews Beach is the water. North-end practical — more car than Ballard, cheaper than the lake-adjacent northeast.
$1,923 median rent · safety 89 · walk 21
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Ballard or Lake City?
Lake City is the lower ACS median: $2,263 vs $1,923. About 47% rent in Lake City vs 51% in Ballard. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Ballard more walkable than Lake City?
Ballard wins the errand count (walk 35 vs 21). Groceries inside 800 meters: 23 vs 12. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Ballard or Lake City?
Lake City is the calmer Part I read (89 vs 47). Combined rate 24.5 vs 44.2 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Ballard or Lake City?
Ballard leads the school axis (68 vs 48). Nearby rating is 7.6 / 10 vs 7.0 / 10. Median age 36.7 vs 39. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
22 minutes from Ballard to Downtown, 28 from Lake City. Ballard is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official district that is not Ballard or Lake City: 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.