Seattle/Compare
Northgate vs Northwest
Northgate and Northwest are two official districts in Seattle. Northwest is the calmer Part I map (79 vs 63). Northgate wins the errand count. Northwest has the lower ACS median ($1,925).
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 | Northgate | Northwest |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 63 | 79 |
| Schools | 42 | 61 |
| Walk | 37 | 28 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 26 | 22 |
| Median rent | $1,948 | $1,925 |
| Median home | $821,263 | $974,623 |
| Population | 44,064 | 48,539 |
| Commute to Downtown | 24 min | 26 min |
| Commute to South Lake Union | 20 min | 22 min |
| Commute to University | 16 min | 22 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Northgate | Northwest |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 55% | 43% |
| Median age | 36.5 | 40.6 |
| Median income | $110K | $140K |
| Part I per 1k | 35.3 | 28.2 |
| Groceries / 800m | 20 | 18 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 154 | 111 |
| Parks / 800m | 108 | 64 |
| 311 last 14 days | 513 | 908 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Seattle city. Up 79% since 2014. N'gate is 4% below the 2024 city median. NW is 5% 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 Northgate if you want the errands on foot. Walk is 37 vs 28. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Northwest if the school rating nearby is the point and the quieter map matters more than the scene. Schools score 61 vs 42. Safety is 79 vs 63. Vibe is 22 vs 26. Read both pages before you decide.
Northgate
The mall became light rail and apartments. Maple Leaf’s bungalows sit next to a station that did not exist a decade ago. North-end practical, not a postcard.
$1,948 median rent · safety 63 · walk 37
Northwest
Greenwood’s strip and Broadview’s bluff. Search Greenwood; the official district runs to the county line. More house than Fremont, more car than Ballard.
$1,925 median rent · safety 79 · walk 28
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Northgate or Northwest?
Northwest is the lower ACS median: $1,948 vs $1,925. About 43% rent in Northwest vs 55% in Northgate. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Northgate more walkable than Northwest?
Northgate wins the errand count (walk 37 vs 28). Groceries inside 800 meters: 20 vs 18. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Northgate or Northwest?
Northwest is the calmer Part I read (79 vs 63). Combined rate 28.2 vs 35.3 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Northgate or Northwest?
Northwest leads the school axis (61 vs 42). Nearby rating is 7.4 / 10 vs 6.8 / 10. Median age 40.6 vs 36.5. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
24 minutes from Northgate to Downtown, 26 from Northwest. Northgate is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official district that is not Northgate or Northwest: 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.
Scores are relative among official Seattle Neighborhood Map Atlas districts with the same editorial weights. Read the method.