Seattle/Compare
Northwest vs University District
Northwest and University District are two official districts in Seattle. Northwest is the calmer Part I map (79 vs 37). Walk is a wash (28 vs 31). 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 | Northwest | University District |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 79 | 37 |
| Schools | 61 | 48 |
| Walk | 28 | 31 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 22 | 28 |
| Median rent | $1,925 | $1,781 |
| Median home | $974,623 | $1,016,152 |
| Population | 48,539 | 31,358 |
| Commute to Downtown | 26 min | 18 min |
| Commute to South Lake Union | 22 min | 14 min |
| Commute to University | 22 min | 6 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Northwest | University District |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 43% | 90% |
| Median age | 40.6 | 23 |
| Median income | $140K | $52K |
| Part I per 1k | 28.2 | 51.5 |
| Groceries / 800m | 18 | 18 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 111 | 111 |
| Parks / 800m | 64 | 43 |
| 311 last 14 days | 908 | 497 |
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. 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 Northwest if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the school rating nearby is the point. Safety is 79 vs 37. Schools score 61 vs 48. Northwest is tagged family on this map; University District is not. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick University District if the shorter ride to Downtown is the point and the rent gap is the point. 18 vs 26 minutes to Downtown. ACS median rent is $1,781 vs $1,925. 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
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, Northwest or University District?
University District is the lower ACS median: $1,925 vs $1,781. About 90% rent in University District vs 43% in Northwest. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Northwest more walkable than University District?
Walk is basically a tie (28 vs 31). Count groceries if you care: 18 in Northwest vs 18 in University District, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, Northwest or University District?
Northwest is the calmer Part I read (79 vs 37). Combined rate 28.2 vs 51.5 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Northwest or University District?
Northwest leads the school axis (61 vs 48). Nearby rating is 7.4 / 10 vs 7.0 / 10. Median age 40.6 vs 23. University District has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
26 minutes from Northwest to Downtown, 18 from University District. University District is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official district that is not Northwest or University District: 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.
Scores are relative among official Seattle Neighborhood Map Atlas districts with the same editorial weights. Read the method.