Seattle/Compare
Interbay vs West Seattle
Interbay and West Seattle are two official districts in Seattle. West Seattle is the calmer Part I map (100 vs 68). West Seattle wins the errand count. West Seattle has the lower ACS median ($2,022).
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 | West Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 68 | 100 |
| Schools | 42 | 74 |
| Walk | 10 | 48 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 10 | 27 |
| Median rent | $2,193 | $2,022 |
| Median home | $822,704 | $944,567 |
| Population | 8,922 | 58,033 |
| Commute to Downtown | 14 min | 22 min |
| Commute to South Lake Union | 16 min | 26 min |
| Commute to University | 24 min | 34 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Interbay | West Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 71% | 42% |
| Median age | 34.7 | 41.4 |
| Median income | $131K | $134K |
| Part I per 1k | 29.7 | 22.4 |
| Groceries / 800m | 7 | 23 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 39 | 235 |
| Parks / 800m | 55 | 80 |
| 311 last 14 days | 132 | 623 |
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. W Seattle is 0% 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 Interbay if the shorter ride to Downtown is the point. 14 vs 22 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick West Seattle if you want the errands on foot and the quieter map matters more than the scene. Walk is 48 vs 10. Safety is 100 vs 68. Schools score 74 vs 42. 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
West Seattle
Alki is the beach; the Junction is the errand. A peninsula that feels like a second city until the bridge backs up. You come for the water and stay because the grocery is still a walk.
$2,022 median rent · safety 100 · walk 48
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Interbay or West Seattle?
West Seattle is the lower ACS median: $2,193 vs $2,022. About 42% rent in West Seattle vs 71% in Interbay. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Interbay more walkable than West Seattle?
West Seattle wins the errand count (walk 10 vs 48). Groceries inside 800 meters: 7 vs 23. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Interbay or West Seattle?
West Seattle is the calmer Part I read (100 vs 68). Combined rate 22.4 vs 29.7 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Interbay or West Seattle?
West Seattle leads the school axis (74 vs 42). Nearby rating is 7.8 / 10 vs 6.8 / 10. Median age 41.4 vs 34.7. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
14 minutes from Interbay to Downtown, 22 from West Seattle. Interbay is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official district that is not Interbay or West Seattle: 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.