Seattle/Compare
Central Area vs Northwest
Central Area and Northwest are two official districts in Seattle. Northwest is the calmer Part I map (79 vs 26). Central Area wins the errand count. Northwest has the lower ACS median ($1,925).
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 | Central Area | Northwest |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 26 | 79 |
| Schools | 35 | 61 |
| Walk | 44 | 28 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 31 | 22 |
| Median rent | $1,952 | $1,925 |
| Median home | $919,123 | $974,623 |
| Population | 33,472 | 48,539 |
| Commute to Downtown | 14 min | 26 min |
| Commute to South Lake Union | 16 min | 22 min |
| Commute to University | 18 min | 22 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Central Area | Northwest |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 66% | 43% |
| Median age | 33 | 40.6 |
| Median income | $117K | $140K |
| Part I per 1k | 53.9 | 28.2 |
| Groceries / 800m | 20 | 18 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 193 | 111 |
| Parks / 800m | 101 | 64 |
| 311 last 14 days | 852 | 908 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Seattle city. Up 79% since 2014. CD is 4% below the 2024 city median. NW is 5% 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 Central Area if you want the errands on foot and the shorter ride to Downtown is the point. Walk is 44 vs 28. 14 vs 26 minutes to Downtown. Vibe is 31 vs 22. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Northwest if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the school rating nearby is the point. Safety is 79 vs 26. Schools score 61 vs 35. Read both pages before you decide.
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
Northwest
Greenwood’s strip and Broadview’s bluff. Search Greenwood; the official district runs to the county line. More house than Fremont, more car than Ballard.
$1,925 median rent · safety 79 · walk 28
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Central Area or Northwest?
Northwest is the lower ACS median: $1,952 vs $1,925. About 43% rent in Northwest vs 66% in Central Area. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Central Area more walkable than Northwest?
Central Area wins the errand count (walk 44 vs 28). Groceries inside 800 meters: 20 vs 18. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Central Area or Northwest?
Northwest is the calmer Part I read (79 vs 26). Combined rate 28.2 vs 53.9 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Central Area or Northwest?
Northwest leads the school axis (61 vs 35). Nearby rating is 7.4 / 10 vs 6.6 / 10. Median age 40.6 vs 33. Central Area has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
14 minutes from Central Area to Downtown, 26 from Northwest. Central Area is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official district that is not Central Area or Northwest: 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.