Seattle/Compare
Northgate vs Queen Anne
Northgate and Queen Anne are two official districts in Seattle. Northgate is the calmer Part I map (63 vs 21). Walk is a wash (37 vs 33). Northgate has the lower ACS median ($1,948).
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 | Queen Anne |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 63 | 21 |
| Schools | 42 | 74 |
| Walk | 37 | 33 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 26 | 23 |
| Median rent | $1,948 | $2,141 |
| Median home | $821,263 | $1,093,603 |
| Population | 44,064 | 42,490 |
| Commute to Downtown | 24 min | 10 min |
| Commute to South Lake Union | 20 min | 10 min |
| Commute to University | 16 min | 18 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Northgate | Queen Anne |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 55% | 61% |
| Median age | 36.5 | 35.4 |
| Median income | $110K | $136K |
| Part I per 1k | 35.3 | 54.8 |
| Groceries / 800m | 20 | 16 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 154 | 158 |
| Parks / 800m | 108 | 56 |
| 311 last 14 days | 513 | 875 |
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. 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 Northgate if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the rent gap is the point. Safety is 63 vs 21. ACS median rent is $1,948 vs $2,141. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Queen Anne if the school rating nearby is the point and you want the cafes and the night. Schools score 74 vs 42. Vibe is 23 vs 26. 10 vs 24 minutes to Downtown. 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
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, Northgate or Queen Anne?
Northgate is the lower ACS median: $1,948 vs $2,141. About 55% rent in Northgate vs 61% in Queen Anne. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Northgate more walkable than Queen Anne?
Walk is basically a tie (37 vs 33). Count groceries if you care: 20 in Northgate vs 16 in Queen Anne, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, Northgate or Queen Anne?
Northgate is the calmer Part I read (63 vs 21). Combined rate 35.3 vs 54.8 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Northgate or Queen Anne?
Queen Anne leads the school axis (74 vs 42). Nearby rating is 7.8 / 10 vs 6.8 / 10. Median age 35.4 vs 36.5. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
24 minutes from Northgate 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 Northgate or Queen Anne: 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.