77fit
Downtown
$2K median rent
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.
NightlifePlannedWalk 100Safety 5
Seattle/Central Area
50fit
Central Area
Official district: Central Area
Data vintage. ACS 2024 5-year · SPD Oct 2025 – Sep 2026 · OSM Sep 2026 · updated Sep 2026
The CD on the map, Madrona and Leschi on the lake edge. Older Seattle — churches, new infill, and a name people still argue about.
central districtthe cdmadronaleschisquire park
Best in Seattle for familiesWalkable SeattleUnder $2,500 rent
Why this score
Safety
26
161 violent · 1645 property · 53.9 per 1k (Oct 2025 – Sep 2026)-24 vs city set
Schools
35
Rating 6.6 / 10 nearby-17 vs city set
Walk
44
OSM: 20 groceries · 35 cafes · 193 transit · 101 parks+8 vs city set
Cost
100
$1,952 ACS median vs your rent budget+2 vs city set
Vibe
31
OSM: 35 cafes · 80 restaurants · 17 bars · 101 parks+3 vs city set
Commute to work
From Central Area, a typical weekday is 14 min to Downtown, 16 min to South Lake Union, 18 min to University. Not live traffic.
Downtown is the fastest of these three job centers from here.
Downtown
14 min
Pike Place, Pioneer Square · -4 min vs the city-set median · fastest of these three
South Lake Union
16 min
Amazon, Cascade · -3 min vs the city-set median
University
18 min
UW campus, the Ave · -3 min vs the city-set median
Minutes are baked from neighborhood geography to three job centers — not Google, not this hour’s traffic.
Cost of living
The ACS median rent is $1,952 — every occupied rental mixed together, not the 1-bed in the window.
That is 20% of median household income — under the 30% HUD line. A household at this area’s median income ($117K) could “afford” about $2,918 a month at 30% of pay.
66% of households rent. Median home value is $919,123.
ACS median rent
$1,952
30% income budget
$2,918
Rent / income
20%
Median home
$919,123
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Seattle city. Up 79% since 2014. Central Area 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. The dashed mark is this area’s ACS 2024 median.
HUD treats 30% of income as the cost-burden line. We do not split ACS rent into 1-bed vs 2-bed. Method.
Within a walk
Within a short walk of this official district: 20 groceries, 35 cafes, 101 parks, and 193 transit stops.
Daily errands and coffee are realistic on foot. Parks are close — 101 mapped parks in that radius. Transit is dense (193 stops or stations).
35 cafes and 80 restaurants make this one of the busier food pockets in the Seattle set.
OpenStreetMap, 800 meters. Not a Walk Score license. More groceries than 13 of the other 19 areas in this city.
Population
33,472
Median age
33
Median income
$117K
Renters
66%
Bachelor+
69%
Violent / 1k
4.8
Property / 1k
49.1
ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024) · 7 census tracts · SPD Oct 2025 – Sep 2026 · OSM 2026-09-04
Family streets
Crime is SPD Part I reports per 1,000 ACS residents — not a judgment of who lives here. Home and rent figures are ACS medians, not live MLS. Read the method.
On the ground
What it is like to live here, beyond the scores.
The CD, Madrona, Leschi — one official district between the hill and the lake. Older Seattle churches, new infill, and a name people still argue about. 23rd is the strip; the lake lots are the other country inside the same line.
You can walk some errands and still own a car. Downtown is close; it does not feel like downtown. Weight family if you want Madrona’s streets, walk if you want the 23rd. Capitol Hill is louder. Rainier Valley is the next valley south.
Compiled from Zillow neighborhood guides, 5280 Magazine, Chicago and San Francisco resident guides, Mpls With Love, Eastside LA reporting, Seattle Times coverage, and local writing, 2025–2026. Editorial — not part of the fit score.
Reported here lately
City 311 service requests in this official unit, last 14 days. This is what neighbors filed with the city — not a chat thread, and not part of the fit score.
852 reports
- Unauthorized Encampment221
- Abandoned Vehicle/72hr Parking Ordinance145
- Illegal Dumping / Needles112
- Graffiti104
- Scooter or Bike Share Issue43
- Scooter or Bike Share Issue
- Illegal Dumping / Needles
- Unauthorized Encampment
- General Inquiry - Transportation
- General Inquiry - Transportation
City of Seattle 311 (Find It, Fix It), last 14 days, mapped to Neighborhood Map Atlas districts. No street addresses stored. Method.
On Reddit
Public posts from r/Seattle that mention this neighborhood. Not Nextdoor, not people on this block, and not part of the fit score.
In r/Seattle lately: parks.
- Multiple car windows smashed in the CD this morning (with photos, as per Rule 9)
r/Seattle · Aug 23 · 520 upvotes · 215 comments
- Lunar Eclipse as seen from Madrona Park
r/Seattle · Aug 28 · 48 upvotes · 3 comments
- Flip Flop Madrona Madonna and Child
r/Seattle · Aug 26 · 10 comments
The line above is a reading of the titles, not a verdict. Up to 3 links, last 90 days, snapshot 2026-09-01. Method.
Common questions
Straight answers from the numbers on this page.
Is Central Area safe?
Central Area shows more Part I than most of this Seattle set (safety 26 vs city 50). SPD logged 4.8 violent and 49.1 property incidents per 1,000 residents — 53.9 combined. Visitors count in those numbers. This is not a judgment of who lives here.
What is rent in Central Area?
ACS median rent is $1,952 — studios through large apartments mixed together. About 66% of households rent. Median home value is $919,123. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Central Area walkable?
Walk is 44 here vs 36 for the Seattle set — you will likely drive or ride for a weekly shop. Inside 800 meters: 20 groceries, 35 cafes, 193 transit stops, 101 parks. Not a Walk Score license.
Is Central Area good for families?
The scores lean family relative to this city set. Nearby school rating is 6.6 / 10. Median age is 33. That rating is not your assigned campus.
How long is the commute from Central Area?
14 typical weekday minutes to Downtown. Not the app on your phone this hour. Other job centers are further down this page.
How many people live in Central Area?
About 33,472 people. Median income $117K. 69% have a bachelor's or higher.
What neighborhoods are next to Central Area?
Beacon Hill, Capitol Hill, Downtown sit closest on this map. If you are choosing between two official districts, start with Central Area vs Beacon Hill.
Next door
Adjacent on the map, ranked with your weights.
Central Area vs Beacon HillCentral Area vs Capitol HillCentral Area vs Downtown
55fit
Rainier Valley
$2K median rent
Columbia City is the search; Rainier Valley is the official district. Light rail down the middle, Mount Baker at the lake, and a food strip that is not a tourist reconstruction.
Family streetsWalk 57Safety 32
54fit
Capitol Hill
$2K median rent
Search Broadway or Pike/Pine; the official district also swallows Madison Park and Montlake. Night on one edge, lake money on the other.
NightlifeWalk 48Safety 16
49fit
Beacon Hill
$2K median rent
The ridge above I-5 with a light-rail spine. Jefferson Park is the lawn; downtown is a short train, not a short walk.
Family streetsWalk 31Safety 74
33fit
Cascade
$3K median rent
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.
PlannedWaterfrontNightlifeWalk 18Safety 11