62fit
Northeast
$2K median rent
Ravenna, Wedgwood, Laurelhurst — one official polygon east of the Ave. Tree streets, University Village at the edge, and a quieter read than the District next door.
Family streetsWalk 50Safety 42
Seattle/University District
47fit
University District
Official district: University District
Data vintage. ACS 2024 5-year · SPD Oct 2025 – Sep 2026 · OSM Sep 2026 · updated Sep 2026
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.
u districtthe aveu-district
Best in Seattle for familiesWalkable SeattleUnder $2,500 rent
Why this score
Safety
37
140 violent · 1474 property · 51.5 per 1k (Oct 2025 – Sep 2026)-13 vs city set
Schools
48
Rating 7.0 / 10 nearby-4 vs city set
Walk
31
OSM: 18 groceries · 65 cafes · 111 transit · 43 parks-5 vs city set
Cost
100
$1,781 ACS median vs your rent budget+2 vs city set
Vibe
28
OSM: 65 cafes · 121 restaurants · 13 bars · 43 parks0 vs city set
Commute to work
From University District, a typical weekday is 18 min to Downtown, 14 min to South Lake Union, 6 min to University. Not live traffic.
University is the fastest of these three job centers from here.
Downtown
18 min
Pike Place, Pioneer Square · at the city-set median
South Lake Union
14 min
Amazon, Cascade · -5 min vs the city-set median
University
6 min
UW campus, the Ave · -15 min vs the city-set median · fastest of these three
Minutes are baked from neighborhood geography to three job centers — not Google, not this hour’s traffic.
Cost of living
The ACS median rent is $1,781 — every occupied rental mixed together, not the 1-bed in the window.
That is 41% of median household income — over the 30% HUD line. A household at this area’s median income ($52K) could “afford” about $1,312 a month at 30% of pay.
90% of households rent. Median home value is $1,016,152.
ACS median rent
$1,781
30% income budget
$1,312
Rent / income
41%
Median home
$1,016,152
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Seattle city. Up 79% since 2014. University 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. The dashed mark is this area’s ACS 2024 median.
HUD treats 30% of income as the cost-burden line. We do not split ACS rent into 1-bed vs 2-bed. Method.
Within a walk
Within a short walk of this official district: 18 groceries, 65 cafes, 43 parks, and 111 transit stops.
Daily errands and coffee are realistic on foot. Parks are close — 43 mapped parks in that radius. Transit is dense (111 stops or stations).
65 cafes and 121 restaurants make this one of the busier food pockets in the Seattle set.
OpenStreetMap, 800 meters. Not a Walk Score license. More groceries than 11 of the other 19 areas in this city.
Population
31,358
Median age
23
Median income
$52K
Renters
90%
Bachelor+
70%
Violent / 1k
4.5
Property / 1k
47.0
ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024) · 9 census tracts · SPD Oct 2025 – Sep 2026 · OSM 2026-09-04
Near UTNightlife
Crime is SPD Part I reports per 1,000 ACS residents — not a judgment of who lives here. Home and rent figures are ACS medians, not live MLS. Read the method.
On the ground
What it is like to live here, beyond the scores.
The Ave, the campus, light rail, and a median income that student households pull down on purpose. It is loud in September and empty in August. You age out, or you stay because the bus still works.
Nearby school ratings here are not why you move. Weight walk and the UW commute. Northeast is the tree-street version of the same zip codes. Capitol Hill is the night if the Ave is not enough.
Compiled from Zillow neighborhood guides, 5280 Magazine, Chicago and San Francisco resident guides, Mpls With Love, Eastside LA reporting, Seattle Times coverage, and local writing, 2025–2026. Editorial — not part of the fit score.
Reported here lately
City 311 service requests in this official unit, last 14 days. This is what neighbors filed with the city — not a chat thread, and not part of the fit score.
497 reports
- Illegal Dumping / Needles155
- Unauthorized Encampment83
- Scooter or Bike Share Issue74
- Graffiti64
- Abandoned Vehicle/72hr Parking Ordinance25
- General Inquiry - City Light
- General Inquiry - City Light
- Public Litter and Recycling Cans
- Unauthorized Encampment
- Scooter or Bike Share Issue
City of Seattle 311 (Find It, Fix It), last 14 days, mapped to Neighborhood Map Atlas districts. No street addresses stored. Method.
On Reddit
Public posts from r/Seattle that mention this neighborhood. Not Nextdoor, not people on this block, and not part of the fit score.
In r/Seattle lately: lost-and-found and pets.
- Found dog by Roosevelt Way NE and 50th Ave in U District
r/Seattle · Aug 20 · 122 upvotes · 10 comments
The line above is a reading of the titles, not a verdict. Up to 3 links, last 90 days, snapshot 2026-09-01. Method.
Common questions
Straight answers from the numbers on this page.
Is University District safe?
University District shows more Part I than most of this Seattle set (safety 37 vs city 50). SPD logged 4.5 violent and 47.0 property incidents per 1,000 residents — 51.5 combined. Visitors count in those numbers. This is not a judgment of who lives here.
What is rent in University District?
ACS median rent is $1,781 — studios through large apartments mixed together. About 90% of households rent. Median home value is $1,016,152. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is University District walkable?
Walk is 31 here vs 36 for the Seattle set — you will likely drive or ride for a weekly shop. Inside 800 meters: 18 groceries, 65 cafes, 111 transit stops, 43 parks. Not a Walk Score license.
Is University District good for families?
There is more night and visitor traffic in the mix — not the quietest family default. Nearby school rating is 7.0 / 10. Median age is 23. That rating is not your assigned campus.
How long is the commute from University District?
18 typical weekday minutes to Downtown. Not the app on your phone this hour. Other job centers are further down this page.
How many people live in University District?
About 31,358 people. Median income $52K. 70% have a bachelor's or higher.
What neighborhoods are next to University District?
Capitol Hill, Northeast, North Central sit closest on this map. If you are choosing between two official districts, start with University District vs Capitol Hill.
Next door
Adjacent on the map, ranked with your weights.
University District vs Capitol HillUniversity District vs NortheastUniversity District vs North Central
60fit
North Central
$2K median rent
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.
NightlifeWaterfrontFamily streetsWalk 42Safety 58
54fit
Capitol Hill
$2K median rent
Search Broadway or Pike/Pine; the official district also swallows Madison Park and Montlake. Night on one edge, lake money on the other.
NightlifeWalk 48Safety 16
49fit
Lake City
$2K median rent
Lake City Way is the strip; Matthews Beach is the water. North-end practical — more car than Ballard, cheaper than the lake-adjacent northeast.
Family streetsWaterfrontWalk 21Safety 89
33fit
Cascade
$3K median rent
The official name is Cascade. Search South Lake Union or Eastlake. Amazon’s campus, Lake Union, and a skyline that did not exist fifteen years ago.
PlannedWaterfrontNightlifeWalk 18Safety 11