Seattle/Compare
Northeast vs West Seattle
Northeast and West Seattle are two official districts in Seattle. West Seattle is the calmer Part I map (100 vs 42). Walk is a wash (50 vs 48). 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 | Northeast | West Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 42 | 100 |
| Schools | 94 | 74 |
| Walk | 50 | 48 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 45 | 27 |
| Median rent | $2,214 | $2,022 |
| Median home | $1,141,764 | $944,567 |
| Population | 37,665 | 58,033 |
| Commute to Downtown | 24 min | 22 min |
| Commute to South Lake Union | 20 min | 26 min |
| Commute to University | 12 min | 34 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Northeast | West Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 33% | 42% |
| Median age | 38.2 | 41.4 |
| Median income | $173K | $134K |
| Part I per 1k | 46.4 | 22.4 |
| Groceries / 800m | 17 | 23 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 187 | 235 |
| Parks / 800m | 172 | 80 |
| 311 last 14 days | 559 | 623 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Seattle city. Up 79% since 2014. NE is 9% 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 Northeast if the school rating nearby is the point and you want the cafes and the night. Schools score 94 vs 74. Vibe is 45 vs 27. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick West Seattle if the quieter map matters more than the scene and you want the cafes and the night. Safety is 100 vs 42. Vibe is 27 vs 45. ACS median rent is $2,022 vs $2,214. Read both pages before you decide.
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
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, Northeast or West Seattle?
West Seattle is the lower ACS median: $2,214 vs $2,022. About 42% rent in West Seattle vs 33% in Northeast. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Northeast more walkable than West Seattle?
Walk is basically a tie (50 vs 48). Count groceries if you care: 17 in Northeast vs 23 in West Seattle, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, Northeast or West Seattle?
West Seattle is the calmer Part I read (100 vs 42). Combined rate 22.4 vs 46.4 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Northeast or West Seattle?
Northeast leads the school axis (94 vs 74). Nearby rating is 8.4 / 10 vs 7.8 / 10. Median age 38.2 vs 41.4. West Seattle has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
24 minutes from Northeast to Downtown, 22 from West Seattle. West Seattle is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official district that is not Northeast or West Seattle: Cascade. The official name is Cascade. Search South Lake Union or Eastlake. Amazon’s campus, Lake Union, and a skyline that did not exist fifteen years ago.
Scores are relative among official Seattle Neighborhood Map Atlas districts with the same editorial weights. Read the method.