Seattle/Compare
Queen Anne vs University District
Queen Anne and University District are two official districts in Seattle. University District is the calmer Part I map (37 vs 21). Walk is a wash (33 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 | Queen Anne | University District |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 21 | 37 |
| Schools | 74 | 48 |
| Walk | 33 | 31 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 23 | 28 |
| Median rent | $2,141 | $1,781 |
| Median home | $1,093,603 | $1,016,152 |
| Population | 42,490 | 31,358 |
| Commute to Downtown | 10 min | 18 min |
| Commute to South Lake Union | 10 min | 14 min |
| Commute to University | 18 min | 6 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Queen Anne | University District |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 61% | 90% |
| Median age | 35.4 | 23 |
| Median income | $136K | $52K |
| Part I per 1k | 54.8 | 51.5 |
| Groceries / 800m | 16 | 18 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 158 | 111 |
| Parks / 800m | 56 | 43 |
| 311 last 14 days | 875 | 497 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Seattle city. Up 79% since 2014. QA is 5% above 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 Queen Anne if the school rating nearby is the point and you want the cafes and the night. Schools score 74 vs 48. Vibe is 23 vs 28. Queen Anne is tagged family on this map; University District is not. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick University District if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the rent gap is the point. Safety is 37 vs 21. ACS median rent is $1,781 vs $2,141. Read both pages before you decide.
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
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, Queen Anne or University District?
University District is the lower ACS median: $2,141 vs $1,781. About 90% rent in University District vs 61% in Queen Anne. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Queen Anne more walkable than University District?
Walk is basically a tie (33 vs 31). Count groceries if you care: 16 in Queen Anne vs 18 in University District, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, Queen Anne or University District?
University District is the calmer Part I read (37 vs 21). Combined rate 51.5 vs 54.8 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Queen Anne or University District?
Queen Anne leads the school axis (74 vs 48). Nearby rating is 7.8 / 10 vs 7.0 / 10. Median age 35.4 vs 23. University District has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
10 minutes from Queen Anne to Downtown, 18 from University District. Queen Anne is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official district that is not Queen Anne or University District: Interbay. The cut between Magnolia and Queen Anne. Tracks, yards, a driving range, and a few apartment stacks. You live here for the commute, not the block party.
Scores are relative among official Seattle Neighborhood Map Atlas districts with the same editorial weights. Read the method.