Seattle/Compare
Cascade vs University District
Cascade and University District are two official districts in Seattle. University District is the calmer Part I map (37 vs 11). University District 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 | Cascade | University District |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 11 | 37 |
| Schools | 42 | 48 |
| Walk | 18 | 31 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 18 | 28 |
| Median rent | $2,502 | $1,781 |
| Median home | $640,715 | $1,016,152 |
| Population | 15,054 | 31,358 |
| Commute to Downtown | 10 min | 18 min |
| Commute to South Lake Union | 6 min | 14 min |
| Commute to University | 14 min | 6 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Cascade | University District |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 95% | 90% |
| Median age | 29.4 | 23 |
| Median income | $144K | $52K |
| Part I per 1k | 98.3 | 51.5 |
| Groceries / 800m | 11 | 18 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 67 | 111 |
| Parks / 800m | 35 | 43 |
| 311 last 14 days | 379 | 497 |
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. 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 Cascade if the shorter ride to Downtown is the point. 10 vs 18 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick University District if the rent gap is the point and the quieter map matters more than the scene. ACS median rent is $1,781 vs $2,502. Safety is 37 vs 11. Walk is 31 vs 18. 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
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, Cascade or University District?
University District is the lower ACS median: $2,502 vs $1,781. About 90% rent in University District vs 95% in Cascade. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Cascade more walkable than University District?
University District wins the errand count (walk 18 vs 31). Groceries inside 800 meters: 11 vs 18. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Cascade or University District?
University District is the calmer Part I read (37 vs 11). Combined rate 51.5 vs 98.3 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Cascade or University District?
University District leads the school axis (48 vs 42). Nearby rating is 7.0 / 10 vs 6.8 / 10. Median age 23 vs 29.4. Cascade has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
10 minutes from Cascade to Downtown, 18 from University District. Cascade is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official district that is not Cascade or University District: 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.