Seattle/Compare
Cascade vs Downtown
Cascade and Downtown are two official districts in Seattle. Cascade is the calmer Part I map (11 vs 5). Downtown wins the errand count. Downtown has the lower ACS median ($2,193).
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 | Downtown |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 11 | 5 |
| Schools | 42 | 10 |
| Walk | 18 | 100 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 18 | 100 |
| Median rent | $2,502 | $2,193 |
| Median home | $640,715 | $827,982 |
| Population | 15,054 | 52,832 |
| Commute to Downtown | 10 min | 6 min |
| Commute to South Lake Union | 6 min | 10 min |
| Commute to University | 14 min | 20 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Cascade | Downtown |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 95% | 85% |
| Median age | 29.4 | 34.2 |
| Median income | $144K | $121K |
| Part I per 1k | 98.3 | 111.7 |
| Groceries / 800m | 11 | 68 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 67 | 264 |
| Parks / 800m | 35 | 62 |
| 311 last 14 days | 379 | 1,694 |
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. Dtwn is 8% 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 Cascade if the school rating nearby is the point. Schools score 42 vs 10. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Downtown if you want the cafes and the night and you want the errands on foot. Vibe is 100 vs 18. Walk is 100 vs 18. ACS median rent is $2,193 vs $2,502. 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
Downtown
Pike Place to Pioneer Square to Belltown to First Hill — one official district, four different nights. Visitor traffic inflates the Part I rate. Walk scores max.
$2,193 median rent · safety 5 · walk 100
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Cascade or Downtown?
Downtown is the lower ACS median: $2,502 vs $2,193. About 85% rent in Downtown vs 95% in Cascade. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Cascade more walkable than Downtown?
Downtown wins the errand count (walk 18 vs 100). Groceries inside 800 meters: 11 vs 68. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Cascade or Downtown?
Cascade is the calmer Part I read (11 vs 5). Combined rate 98.3 vs 111.7 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Cascade or Downtown?
Cascade leads the school axis (42 vs 10). Nearby rating is 6.8 / 10 vs 5.8 / 10. Median age 29.4 vs 34.2. Downtown has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
10 minutes from Cascade to Downtown, 6 from Downtown. Downtown is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official district that is not Cascade or Downtown: 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.