Seattle/Compare
Interbay vs Northwest
Interbay and Northwest are two official districts in Seattle. Northwest is the calmer Part I map (79 vs 68). Northwest 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 | Interbay | Northwest |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 68 | 79 |
| Schools | 42 | 61 |
| Walk | 10 | 28 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 10 | 22 |
| Median rent | $2,193 | $1,925 |
| Median home | $822,704 | $974,623 |
| Population | 8,922 | 48,539 |
| Commute to Downtown | 14 min | 26 min |
| Commute to South Lake Union | 16 min | 22 min |
| Commute to University | 24 min | 22 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Interbay | Northwest |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 71% | 43% |
| Median age | 34.7 | 40.6 |
| Median income | $131K | $140K |
| Part I per 1k | 29.7 | 28.2 |
| Groceries / 800m | 7 | 18 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 39 | 111 |
| Parks / 800m | 55 | 64 |
| 311 last 14 days | 132 | 908 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Seattle city. Up 79% since 2014. Interbay is 8% above 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 Interbay if the shorter ride to Downtown is the point. 14 vs 26 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Northwest if the school rating nearby is the point and you want the errands on foot. Schools score 61 vs 42. Walk is 28 vs 10. Vibe is 22 vs 10. Read both pages before you decide.
Interbay
The cut between Magnolia and Queen Anne. Tracks, yards, a driving range, and a few apartment stacks. You live here for the commute, not the block party.
$2,193 median rent · safety 68 · walk 10
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, Interbay or Northwest?
Northwest is the lower ACS median: $2,193 vs $1,925. About 43% rent in Northwest vs 71% in Interbay. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Interbay more walkable than Northwest?
Northwest wins the errand count (walk 10 vs 28). Groceries inside 800 meters: 7 vs 18. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Interbay or Northwest?
Northwest is the calmer Part I read (79 vs 68). Combined rate 28.2 vs 29.7 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Interbay or Northwest?
Northwest leads the school axis (61 vs 42). Nearby rating is 7.4 / 10 vs 6.8 / 10. Median age 40.6 vs 34.7. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
14 minutes from Interbay to Downtown, 26 from Northwest. Interbay is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official district that is not Interbay or Northwest: 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.
Scores are relative among official Seattle Neighborhood Map Atlas districts with the same editorial weights. Read the method.