Seattle/Compare
North Central vs University District
North Central and University District are two official districts in Seattle. North Central is the calmer Part I map (58 vs 37). North Central wins the errand count. University District has the lower ACS median ($1,781).
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 | University District |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 58 | 37 |
| Schools | 81 | 48 |
| Walk | 42 | 31 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 42 | 28 |
| Median rent | $2,129 | $1,781 |
| Median home | $1,091,474 | $1,016,152 |
| Population | 56,361 | 31,358 |
| Commute to Downtown | 16 min | 18 min |
| Commute to South Lake Union | 12 min | 14 min |
| Commute to University | 14 min | 6 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | North Central | University District |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 59% | 90% |
| Median age | 34.7 | 23 |
| Median income | $140K | $52K |
| Part I per 1k | 39.4 | 51.5 |
| Groceries / 800m | 25 | 18 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 132 | 111 |
| Parks / 800m | 72 | 43 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,575 | 497 |
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. U District is 12% 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 North Central if you want the cafes and the night and the school rating nearby is the point. Vibe is 42 vs 28. Schools score 81 vs 48. Safety is 58 vs 37. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick University District if the rent gap is the point. ACS median rent is $1,781 vs $2,129. 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
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.
$1,781 median rent · safety 37 · walk 31
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, North Central or University District?
University District is the lower ACS median: $2,129 vs $1,781. About 90% rent in University District vs 59% in North Central. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is North Central more walkable than University District?
North Central wins the errand count (walk 42 vs 31). Groceries inside 800 meters: 25 vs 18. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, North Central or University District?
North Central is the calmer Part I read (58 vs 37). Combined rate 39.4 vs 51.5 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, North Central or University District?
North Central leads the school axis (81 vs 48). Nearby rating is 8.0 / 10 vs 7.0 / 10. Median age 34.7 vs 23. University District 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, 18 from University District. North Central is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official district that is not North Central or University District: 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.
North Central vs Queen AnneUniversity District vs Queen Anne
Scores are relative among official Seattle Neighborhood Map Atlas districts with the same editorial weights. Read the method.