Seattle/Compare
Magnolia vs West Seattle
Magnolia and West Seattle are two official districts in Seattle. West Seattle is the calmer Part I map (100 vs 84). 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 | Magnolia | West Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 84 | 100 |
| Schools | 100 | 74 |
| Walk | 17 | 48 |
| Cost fit | 97 | 100 |
| Vibe | 6 | 27 |
| Median rent | $2,578 | $2,022 |
| Median home | $1,331,412 | $944,567 |
| Population | 17,077 | 58,033 |
| Commute to Downtown | 18 min | 22 min |
| Commute to South Lake Union | 20 min | 26 min |
| Commute to University | 28 min | 34 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Magnolia | West Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 29% | 42% |
| Median age | 41.4 | 41.4 |
| Median income | $203K | $134K |
| Part I per 1k | 27.3 | 22.4 |
| Groceries / 800m | 8 | 23 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 116 | 235 |
| Parks / 800m | 36 | 80 |
| 311 last 14 days | 183 | 623 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Seattle city. Up 79% since 2014. Magnolia is 27% 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 Magnolia if the school rating nearby is the point. Schools score 100 vs 74. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick West Seattle if you want the errands on foot and you want the cafes and the night. Walk is 48 vs 17. Vibe is 27 vs 6. ACS median rent is $2,022 vs $2,578. Read both pages before you decide.
Magnolia
A peninsula with one way in. Discovery Park is the amenity; the quiet is the product. You will drive more than you think, and hear less than almost anywhere else on this map.
$2,578 median rent · safety 84 · walk 17
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, Magnolia or West Seattle?
West Seattle is the lower ACS median: $2,578 vs $2,022. About 42% rent in West Seattle vs 29% in Magnolia. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Magnolia more walkable than West Seattle?
West Seattle wins the errand count (walk 17 vs 48). Groceries inside 800 meters: 8 vs 23. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Magnolia or West Seattle?
West Seattle is the calmer Part I read (100 vs 84). Combined rate 22.4 vs 27.3 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Magnolia or West Seattle?
Magnolia leads the school axis (100 vs 74). Nearby rating is 8.6 / 10 vs 7.8 / 10. Median age 41.4 vs 41.4. West Seattle has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
18 minutes from Magnolia to Downtown, 22 from West Seattle. Magnolia is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official district that is not Magnolia or West Seattle: 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.
Scores are relative among official Seattle Neighborhood Map Atlas districts with the same editorial weights. Read the method.