Seattle/Compare
Downtown vs Greater Duwamish
Downtown and Greater Duwamish are two official districts in Seattle. Downtown is the calmer Part I map (5 vs 0). Downtown wins the errand count. Greater Duwamish has the lower ACS median ($1,991).
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 | Downtown | Greater Duwamish |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 5 | 0 |
| Schools | 10 | 0 |
| Walk | 100 | 38 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 100 | 19 |
| Median rent | $2,193 | $1,991 |
| Median home | $827,982 | $652,184 |
| Population | 52,832 | 8,627 |
| Commute to Downtown | 6 min | 14 min |
| Commute to South Lake Union | 10 min | 18 min |
| Commute to University | 20 min | 24 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Downtown | Greater Duwamish |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 85% | 53% |
| Median age | 34.2 | 36.3 |
| Median income | $121K | $110K |
| Part I per 1k | 111.7 | 144.2 |
| Groceries / 800m | 68 | 17 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 264 | 219 |
| Parks / 800m | 62 | 40 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,694 | 661 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Seattle city. Up 79% since 2014. Dtwn is 8% above the 2024 city median. Duwamish is 2% 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 Downtown if you want the cafes and the night and you want the errands on foot. Vibe is 100 vs 19. Walk is 100 vs 38. Schools score 10 vs 0. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Greater Duwamish if the rent gap is the point. ACS median rent is $1,991 vs $2,193. Read both pages before you decide.
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
Greater Duwamish
Georgetown’s bars sit inside an industrial official district. SODO and the port set the noise. A relocator list that skipped this polygon would be lying about the map.
$1,991 median rent · safety 0 · walk 38
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Downtown or Greater Duwamish?
Greater Duwamish is the lower ACS median: $2,193 vs $1,991. About 53% rent in Greater Duwamish vs 85% in Downtown. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Downtown more walkable than Greater Duwamish?
Downtown wins the errand count (walk 100 vs 38). Groceries inside 800 meters: 68 vs 17. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Downtown or Greater Duwamish?
Downtown is the calmer Part I read (5 vs 0). Combined rate 111.7 vs 144.2 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Downtown or Greater Duwamish?
Downtown leads the school axis (10 vs 0). Nearby rating is 5.8 / 10 vs 5.5 / 10. Median age 34.2 vs 36.3. Greater Duwamish has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
6 minutes from Downtown to Downtown, 14 from Greater Duwamish. Downtown is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official district that is not Downtown or Greater Duwamish: 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.