Seattle/Compare
Lake City vs Northeast
Lake City and Northeast are two official districts in Seattle. Lake City is the calmer Part I map (89 vs 42). Northeast wins the errand count. Lake City has the lower ACS median ($1,923).
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 | Lake City | Northeast |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 89 | 42 |
| Schools | 48 | 94 |
| Walk | 21 | 50 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 14 | 45 |
| Median rent | $1,923 | $2,214 |
| Median home | $972,894 | $1,141,764 |
| Population | 30,640 | 37,665 |
| Commute to Downtown | 28 min | 24 min |
| Commute to South Lake Union | 24 min | 20 min |
| Commute to University | 16 min | 12 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Lake City | Northeast |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 47% | 33% |
| Median age | 39 | 38.2 |
| Median income | $127K | $173K |
| Part I per 1k | 24.5 | 46.4 |
| Groceries / 800m | 12 | 17 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 99 | 187 |
| Parks / 800m | 68 | 172 |
| 311 last 14 days | 395 | 559 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Seattle city. Up 79% since 2014. Lk City is 5% below the 2024 city median. NE is 9% 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 Lake City if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the rent gap is the point. Safety is 89 vs 42. ACS median rent is $1,923 vs $2,214. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Northeast if the school rating nearby is the point and you want the cafes and the night. Schools score 94 vs 48. Vibe is 45 vs 14. Walk is 50 vs 21. Read both pages before you decide.
Lake City
Lake City Way is the strip; Matthews Beach is the water. North-end practical — more car than Ballard, cheaper than the lake-adjacent northeast.
$1,923 median rent · safety 89 · walk 21
Northeast
Ravenna, Wedgwood, Laurelhurst — one official polygon east of the Ave. Tree streets, University Village at the edge, and a quieter read than the District next door.
$2,214 median rent · safety 42 · walk 50
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Lake City or Northeast?
Lake City is the lower ACS median: $1,923 vs $2,214. About 47% rent in Lake City vs 33% in Northeast. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Lake City more walkable than Northeast?
Northeast wins the errand count (walk 21 vs 50). Groceries inside 800 meters: 12 vs 17. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Lake City or Northeast?
Lake City is the calmer Part I read (89 vs 42). Combined rate 24.5 vs 46.4 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Lake City or Northeast?
Northeast leads the school axis (94 vs 48). Nearby rating is 8.4 / 10 vs 7.0 / 10. Median age 38.2 vs 39. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
28 minutes from Lake City to Downtown, 24 from Northeast. Northeast is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official district that is not Lake City or Northeast: University District. The Ave, the campus, and a median income that student households pull down. Light rail now. It is a neighborhood you age out of, or a neighborhood you never leave because of the bus.
Lake City vs University DistrictNortheast vs University District
Scores are relative among official Seattle Neighborhood Map Atlas districts with the same editorial weights. Read the method.