Seattle/Compare
Capitol Hill vs North Central
Capitol Hill and North Central are two official districts in Seattle. North Central is the calmer Part I map (58 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 | Capitol Hill | North Central |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 16 | 58 |
| Schools | 55 | 81 |
| Walk | 48 | 42 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 47 | 42 |
| Median rent | $2,009 | $2,129 |
| Median home | $1,299,835 | $1,091,474 |
| Population | 54,149 | 56,361 |
| Commute to Downtown | 12 min | 16 min |
| Commute to South Lake Union | 10 min | 12 min |
| Commute to University | 16 min | 14 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Capitol Hill | North Central |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 68% | 59% |
| Median age | 36.4 | 34.7 |
| Median income | $133K | $140K |
| Part I per 1k | 55.9 | 39.4 |
| Groceries / 800m | 26 | 25 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 152 | 132 |
| Parks / 800m | 87 | 72 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,350 | 1,575 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Seattle city. Up 79% since 2014. Cap Hill is 1% below 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 Capitol Hill if you want the cafes and the night and the rent gap is the point. Vibe is 47 vs 42. ACS median rent is $2,009 vs $2,129. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick North Central if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the school rating nearby is the point. Safety is 58 vs 16. Schools score 81 vs 55. North Central is tagged family on this map; Capitol Hill is not. Read both pages before you decide.
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
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, Capitol Hill or North Central?
Capitol Hill is the lower ACS median: $2,009 vs $2,129. About 68% rent in Capitol Hill vs 59% in North Central. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Capitol Hill more walkable than North Central?
Capitol Hill wins the errand count (walk 48 vs 42). Groceries inside 800 meters: 26 vs 25. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Capitol Hill or North Central?
North Central is the calmer Part I read (58 vs 16). Combined rate 39.4 vs 55.9 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Capitol Hill or North Central?
North Central leads the school axis (81 vs 55). Nearby rating is 8.0 / 10 vs 7.2 / 10. Median age 34.7 vs 36.4. Capitol Hill has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
12 minutes from Capitol Hill to Downtown, 16 from North Central. Capitol Hill is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official district that is not Capitol Hill or North Central: University District. The Ave, the campus, and a median income that student households pull down. Light rail now. It is a neighborhood you age out of, or a neighborhood you never leave because of the bus.
Capitol Hill vs University DistrictNorth Central vs University District
Scores are relative among official Seattle Neighborhood Map Atlas districts with the same editorial weights. Read the method.