Seattle/Compare
Downtown vs Queen Anne
Downtown and Queen Anne are two official districts in Seattle. Queen Anne is the calmer Part I map (21 vs 5). Downtown wins the errand count. Queen Anne has the lower ACS median ($2,141).
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 | Queen Anne |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 5 | 21 |
| Schools | 10 | 74 |
| Walk | 100 | 33 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 100 | 23 |
| Median rent | $2,193 | $2,141 |
| Median home | $827,982 | $1,093,603 |
| Population | 52,832 | 42,490 |
| Commute to Downtown | 6 min | 10 min |
| Commute to South Lake Union | 10 min | 10 min |
| Commute to University | 20 min | 18 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Downtown | Queen Anne |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 85% | 61% |
| Median age | 34.2 | 35.4 |
| Median income | $121K | $136K |
| Part I per 1k | 111.7 | 54.8 |
| Groceries / 800m | 68 | 16 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 264 | 158 |
| Parks / 800m | 62 | 56 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,694 | 875 |
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. QA is 5% 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 Downtown if you want the cafes and the night and you want the errands on foot. Vibe is 100 vs 23. Walk is 100 vs 33. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Queen Anne if the school rating nearby is the point and the quieter map matters more than the scene. Schools score 74 vs 10. Safety is 21 vs 5. Queen Anne is tagged family on this map; Downtown is not. 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
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.
$2,141 median rent · safety 21 · walk 33
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Downtown or Queen Anne?
Queen Anne is the lower ACS median: $2,193 vs $2,141. About 61% rent in Queen Anne vs 85% in Downtown. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Downtown more walkable than Queen Anne?
Downtown wins the errand count (walk 100 vs 33). Groceries inside 800 meters: 68 vs 16. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Downtown or Queen Anne?
Queen Anne is the calmer Part I read (21 vs 5). Combined rate 54.8 vs 111.7 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Downtown or Queen Anne?
Queen Anne leads the school axis (74 vs 10). Nearby rating is 7.8 / 10 vs 5.8 / 10. Median age 35.4 vs 34.2. Downtown has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
6 minutes from Downtown to Downtown, 10 from Queen Anne. Downtown is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official district that is not Downtown or Queen Anne: 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.