Seattle/Compare
Ballard vs Northwest
Ballard and Northwest are two official districts in Seattle. Northwest is the calmer Part I map (79 vs 47). Ballard wins the errand count. Northwest has the lower ACS median ($1,925).
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 | Northwest |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 47 | 79 |
| Schools | 68 | 61 |
| Walk | 35 | 28 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 30 | 22 |
| Median rent | $2,263 | $1,925 |
| Median home | $981,868 | $974,623 |
| Population | 45,725 | 48,539 |
| Commute to Downtown | 22 min | 26 min |
| Commute to South Lake Union | 18 min | 22 min |
| Commute to University | 22 min | 22 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Ballard | Northwest |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 51% | 43% |
| Median age | 36.7 | 40.6 |
| Median income | $153K | $140K |
| Part I per 1k | 44.2 | 28.2 |
| Groceries / 800m | 23 | 18 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 119 | 111 |
| Parks / 800m | 53 | 64 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,049 | 908 |
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. NW 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. Vibe is 30 vs 22. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Northwest if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the rent gap is the point. Safety is 79 vs 47. ACS median rent is $1,925 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
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.
$1,925 median rent · safety 79 · walk 28
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Ballard or Northwest?
Northwest is the lower ACS median: $2,263 vs $1,925. About 43% rent in Northwest vs 51% in Ballard. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Ballard more walkable than Northwest?
Ballard wins the errand count (walk 35 vs 28). Groceries inside 800 meters: 23 vs 18. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Ballard or Northwest?
Northwest is the calmer Part I read (79 vs 47). Combined rate 28.2 vs 44.2 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Ballard or Northwest?
Ballard leads the school axis (68 vs 61). Nearby rating is 7.6 / 10 vs 7.4 / 10. Median age 36.7 vs 40.6. Northwest has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
22 minutes from Ballard to Downtown, 26 from Northwest. Ballard is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official district that is not Ballard or Northwest: Magnolia. A peninsula with one way in. Discovery Park is the amenity; the quiet is the product. You will drive more than you think, and hear less than almost anywhere else on this map.
Scores are relative among official Seattle Neighborhood Map Atlas districts with the same editorial weights. Read the method.