Seattle/Compare
Ballard vs North Central
Ballard and North Central are two official districts in Seattle. North Central is the calmer Part I map (58 vs 47). North Central wins the errand count. North Central has the lower ACS median ($2,129).
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 | North Central |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 47 | 58 |
| Schools | 68 | 81 |
| Walk | 35 | 42 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 30 | 42 |
| Median rent | $2,263 | $2,129 |
| Median home | $981,868 | $1,091,474 |
| Population | 45,725 | 56,361 |
| Commute to Downtown | 22 min | 16 min |
| Commute to South Lake Union | 18 min | 12 min |
| Commute to University | 22 min | 14 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Ballard | North Central |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 51% | 59% |
| Median age | 36.7 | 34.7 |
| Median income | $153K | $140K |
| Part I per 1k | 44.2 | 39.4 |
| Groceries / 800m | 23 | 25 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 119 | 132 |
| Parks / 800m | 53 | 72 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,049 | 1,575 |
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. N Central is 5% 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 Ballard if you already want this pocket more than the table. North Central leads the numbered axes on this page.
Pick North Central if the school rating nearby is the point and you want the cafes and the night. Schools score 81 vs 68. Vibe is 42 vs 30. Safety is 58 vs 47. 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
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.
$2,129 median rent · safety 58 · walk 42
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Ballard or North Central?
North Central is the lower ACS median: $2,263 vs $2,129. About 59% rent in North Central vs 51% in Ballard. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Ballard more walkable than North Central?
North Central wins the errand count (walk 35 vs 42). Groceries inside 800 meters: 23 vs 25. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Ballard or North Central?
North Central is the calmer Part I read (58 vs 47). Combined rate 39.4 vs 44.2 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Ballard or North Central?
North Central leads the school axis (81 vs 68). Nearby rating is 8.0 / 10 vs 7.6 / 10. Median age 34.7 vs 36.7. Ballard has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
22 minutes from Ballard to Downtown, 16 from North Central. North Central is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official district that is not Ballard or North Central: Northwest. Greenwood’s strip and Broadview’s bluff. Search Greenwood; the official district runs to the county line. More house than Fremont, more car than Ballard.
Scores are relative among official Seattle Neighborhood Map Atlas districts with the same editorial weights. Read the method.