Seattle/Compare
Northwest vs Queen Anne
Northwest and Queen Anne are two official districts in Seattle. Northwest is the calmer Part I map (79 vs 21). Queen Anne 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 | Northwest | Queen Anne |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 79 | 21 |
| Schools | 61 | 74 |
| Walk | 28 | 33 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 22 | 23 |
| Median rent | $1,925 | $2,141 |
| Median home | $974,623 | $1,093,603 |
| Population | 48,539 | 42,490 |
| Commute to Downtown | 26 min | 10 min |
| Commute to South Lake Union | 22 min | 10 min |
| Commute to University | 22 min | 18 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Northwest | Queen Anne |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 43% | 61% |
| Median age | 40.6 | 35.4 |
| Median income | $140K | $136K |
| Part I per 1k | 28.2 | 54.8 |
| Groceries / 800m | 18 | 16 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 111 | 158 |
| Parks / 800m | 64 | 56 |
| 311 last 14 days | 908 | 875 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Seattle city. Up 79% since 2014. NW is 5% 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 Northwest if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the rent gap is the point. Safety is 79 vs 21. ACS median rent is $1,925 vs $2,141. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Queen Anne if the shorter ride to Downtown is the point and the school rating nearby is the point. 10 vs 26 minutes to Downtown. Schools score 74 vs 61. Vibe is 23 vs 22. Read both pages before you decide.
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
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, Northwest or Queen Anne?
Northwest is the lower ACS median: $1,925 vs $2,141. About 43% rent in Northwest vs 61% in Queen Anne. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Northwest more walkable than Queen Anne?
Queen Anne wins the errand count (walk 28 vs 33). Groceries inside 800 meters: 18 vs 16. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Northwest or Queen Anne?
Northwest is the calmer Part I read (79 vs 21). Combined rate 28.2 vs 54.8 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Northwest or Queen Anne?
Queen Anne leads the school axis (74 vs 61). Nearby rating is 7.8 / 10 vs 7.4 / 10. Median age 35.4 vs 40.6. Northwest has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
26 minutes from Northwest 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 Northwest or Queen Anne: Ballard. Old fishing town, new apartments. The locks and the Sunday market set the postcard; Ballard Avenue sets the night.
Scores are relative among official Seattle Neighborhood Map Atlas districts with the same editorial weights. Read the method.