Seattle/Compare
North Central vs Queen Anne
North Central and Queen Anne are two official districts in Seattle. North Central is the calmer Part I map (58 vs 21). North Central wins the errand count. North Central has the lower ACS median ($2,129).
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 | North Central | Queen Anne |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 58 | 21 |
| Schools | 81 | 74 |
| Walk | 42 | 33 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 42 | 23 |
| Median rent | $2,129 | $2,141 |
| Median home | $1,091,474 | $1,093,603 |
| Population | 56,361 | 42,490 |
| Commute to Downtown | 16 min | 10 min |
| Commute to South Lake Union | 12 min | 10 min |
| Commute to University | 14 min | 18 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | North Central | Queen Anne |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 59% | 61% |
| Median age | 34.7 | 35.4 |
| Median income | $140K | $136K |
| Part I per 1k | 39.4 | 54.8 |
| Groceries / 800m | 25 | 16 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 132 | 158 |
| Parks / 800m | 72 | 56 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,575 | 875 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Seattle city. Up 79% since 2014. N Central is 5% above the 2024 city median. QA is 5% 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 North Central if the quieter map matters more than the scene and you want the cafes and the night. Safety is 58 vs 21. Vibe is 42 vs 23. Walk is 42 vs 33. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Queen Anne if the shorter ride to Downtown is the point. 10 vs 16 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
North Central
The official district glues Fremont, Wallingford, Green Lake, and Phinney Ridge. Search those names. The troll, the lake loop, and the Sunday streets are all in here.
$2,129 median rent · safety 58 · walk 42
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.
$2,141 median rent · safety 21 · walk 33
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, North Central or Queen Anne?
North Central is the lower ACS median: $2,129 vs $2,141. About 59% rent in North Central vs 61% in Queen Anne. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is North Central more walkable than Queen Anne?
North Central wins the errand count (walk 42 vs 33). Groceries inside 800 meters: 25 vs 16. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, North Central or Queen Anne?
North Central is the calmer Part I read (58 vs 21). Combined rate 39.4 vs 54.8 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, North Central or Queen Anne?
North Central leads the school axis (81 vs 74). Nearby rating is 8.0 / 10 vs 7.8 / 10. Median age 34.7 vs 35.4. Queen Anne has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
16 minutes from North Central to Downtown, 10 from Queen Anne. Queen Anne is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official district that is not North Central or Queen Anne: 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.