Seattle/Compare
Cascade vs Central Area
Cascade and Central Area are two official districts in Seattle. Central Area is the calmer Part I map (26 vs 11). Central Area wins the errand count. Central Area has the lower ACS median ($1,952).
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 | Cascade | Central Area |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 11 | 26 |
| Schools | 42 | 35 |
| Walk | 18 | 44 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 18 | 31 |
| Median rent | $2,502 | $1,952 |
| Median home | $640,715 | $919,123 |
| Population | 15,054 | 33,472 |
| Commute to Downtown | 10 min | 14 min |
| Commute to South Lake Union | 6 min | 16 min |
| Commute to University | 14 min | 18 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Cascade | Central Area |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 95% | 66% |
| Median age | 29.4 | 33 |
| Median income | $144K | $117K |
| Part I per 1k | 98.3 | 53.9 |
| Groceries / 800m | 11 | 20 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 67 | 193 |
| Parks / 800m | 35 | 101 |
| 311 last 14 days | 379 | 852 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Seattle city. Up 79% since 2014. SLU is 23% above the 2024 city median. CD is 4% 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 Cascade if you already want this pocket more than the table. Central Area leads the numbered axes on this page.
Pick Central Area if you want the errands on foot and the rent gap is the point. Walk is 44 vs 18. ACS median rent is $1,952 vs $2,502. Safety is 26 vs 11. Read both pages before you decide.
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.
$2,502 median rent · safety 11 · walk 18
Central Area
The CD on the map, Madrona and Leschi on the lake edge. Older Seattle — churches, new infill, and a name people still argue about.
$1,952 median rent · safety 26 · walk 44
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Cascade or Central Area?
Central Area is the lower ACS median: $2,502 vs $1,952. About 66% rent in Central Area vs 95% in Cascade. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Cascade more walkable than Central Area?
Central Area wins the errand count (walk 18 vs 44). Groceries inside 800 meters: 11 vs 20. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Cascade or Central Area?
Central Area is the calmer Part I read (26 vs 11). Combined rate 53.9 vs 98.3 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Cascade or Central Area?
Cascade leads the school axis (42 vs 35). Nearby rating is 6.8 / 10 vs 6.6 / 10. Median age 29.4 vs 33. Central Area has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
10 minutes from Cascade to Downtown, 14 from Central Area. Cascade is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official district that is not Cascade or Central Area: Queen Anne. The hill looks at downtown; Lower Queen Anne eats after the game. Counterbalance and a grocery you can walk to if you picked the right side of the ridge.
Scores are relative among official Seattle Neighborhood Map Atlas districts with the same editorial weights. Read the method.