Seattle/Compare
Downtown vs Seward Park
Downtown and Seward Park are two official districts in Seattle. Seward Park is the calmer Part I map (95 vs 5). Downtown wins the errand count. Downtown has the lower ACS median ($2,193).
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 | Seward Park |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 5 | 95 |
| Schools | 10 | 87 |
| Walk | 100 | 0 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 94 |
| Vibe | 100 | 0 |
| Median rent | $2,193 | $2,667 |
| Median home | $827,982 | $1,037,700 |
| Population | 52,832 | 5,610 |
| Commute to Downtown | 6 min | 26 min |
| Commute to South Lake Union | 10 min | 30 min |
| Commute to University | 20 min | 28 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Downtown | Seward Park |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 85% | 11% |
| Median age | 34.2 | 45.2 |
| Median income | $121K | $197K |
| Part I per 1k | 111.7 | 24.1 |
| Groceries / 800m | 68 | 1 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 264 | 26 |
| Parks / 800m | 62 | 18 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,694 | 122 |
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. Seward is 31% 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 0. Walk is 100 vs 0. 6 vs 26 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Seward Park if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the school rating nearby is the point. Safety is 95 vs 5. Schools score 87 vs 10. Seward Park 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
Seward Park
The peninsula in the lake. A loop trail, old houses, and almost no night. The smallest official district on this map, and the one that feels furthest from downtown without leaving the city.
$2,667 median rent · safety 95 · walk 0
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Downtown or Seward Park?
Downtown is the lower ACS median: $2,193 vs $2,667. About 85% rent in Downtown vs 11% in Seward Park. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Downtown more walkable than Seward Park?
Downtown wins the errand count (walk 100 vs 0). Groceries inside 800 meters: 68 vs 1. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Downtown or Seward Park?
Seward Park is the calmer Part I read (95 vs 5). Combined rate 24.1 vs 111.7 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Downtown or Seward Park?
Seward Park leads the school axis (87 vs 10). Nearby rating is 8.2 / 10 vs 5.8 / 10. Median age 45.2 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, 26 from Seward Park. Downtown is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official district that is not Downtown or Seward Park: 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.