Seattle/Compare
Capitol Hill vs University District
Capitol Hill and University District are two official districts in Seattle. University District is the calmer Part I map (37 vs 16). Capitol Hill wins the errand count. University District has the lower ACS median ($1,781).
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 | University District |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 16 | 37 |
| Schools | 55 | 48 |
| Walk | 48 | 31 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 47 | 28 |
| Median rent | $2,009 | $1,781 |
| Median home | $1,299,835 | $1,016,152 |
| Population | 54,149 | 31,358 |
| Commute to Downtown | 12 min | 18 min |
| Commute to South Lake Union | 10 min | 14 min |
| Commute to University | 16 min | 6 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Capitol Hill | University District |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 68% | 90% |
| Median age | 36.4 | 23 |
| Median income | $133K | $52K |
| Part I per 1k | 55.9 | 51.5 |
| Groceries / 800m | 26 | 18 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 152 | 111 |
| Parks / 800m | 87 | 43 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,350 | 497 |
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. U District is 12% 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 Capitol Hill if you want the cafes and the night and you want the errands on foot. Vibe is 47 vs 28. Walk is 48 vs 31. 12 vs 18 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick University District if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the rent gap is the point. Safety is 37 vs 16. ACS median rent is $1,781 vs $2,009. 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
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.
$1,781 median rent · safety 37 · walk 31
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Capitol Hill or University District?
University District is the lower ACS median: $2,009 vs $1,781. About 90% rent in University District vs 68% in Capitol Hill. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Capitol Hill more walkable than University District?
Capitol Hill wins the errand count (walk 48 vs 31). Groceries inside 800 meters: 26 vs 18. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Capitol Hill or University District?
University District is the calmer Part I read (37 vs 16). Combined rate 51.5 vs 55.9 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Capitol Hill or University District?
Capitol Hill leads the school axis (55 vs 48). Nearby rating is 7.2 / 10 vs 7.0 / 10. Median age 36.4 vs 23. University District 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, 18 from University District. Capitol Hill is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official district that is not Capitol Hill or University District: Cascade. The official name is Cascade. Search South Lake Union or Eastlake. Amazon’s campus, Lake Union, and a skyline that did not exist fifteen years ago.
Scores are relative among official Seattle Neighborhood Map Atlas districts with the same editorial weights. Read the method.