Seattle,Washington is renowned for many things. It’s called Emerald City because of its lush forested landscapes fed by abundant rainfall. It’s been dubbed the Coffee Capital of the World- birthplace to Starbucks, Seattle’s Best, and Tully’s. Grunge music began in Seattle- with Soundgarden and Alice in Chains- rocker Jimi Hendrix and hip-hop artist Sir Mix-A-Lot had their start here too. And the Seattle area is known as a residence for billionaires- Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer of Microsoft, and Starbuck’s former CEO Howard Schultz. Seattle is a perfect place for anyone seeking business and tech opportunities, with companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Costco, Nordstrom, Expedia, Boeing, and UPS as Seattle establishments. So if you are looking to relocate, what are the safest neighborhoods in Seattle, Washington for you to investigate?
Here are the top 10 areas that are on the Seattle safest neighborhoods list:
Hawthrone Hills
This wealthy suburban neighborhood is known for having the lowest crime rate in Seattle, and is also rated one of the safest places in the whole US. Northeast of the University of WA, Hawthorne Hills is a favorite of 40-ish residents who work white collar jobs in education, financial, retail, and health. Some students attending the nearby university do live here to take advantage of the short commute from Hawthorne Hills. Safety comes at a price in Hawthorne Hills. House prices average at $1,440,636 which makes sense as Hawthorne Hills has the second-highest median household income in Seattle ($111,671). Median rents are $2,199. Hawthorne Hills safety rates come in at A+ (crime here is 78% lower than the Seattle crime average, 39% lower that the US average).
Broadmoor
This neighborhood is one of the safest in Seattle- which makes sense as it is an exclusive community with 24-hour gated security. The population is very small at 1,508 people, and the average age here is 40 years old. In addition, Broadmoor is the richest neighborhood in Seattle- with an average home sale value of $3.27 million. Residents enjoy its prestigious massive 115-acre Broadmoor Golf Club, along with hiking trails near Washington Park and expansive views of Lake Washington.
Broadway/Capitol Hill
This urban area is often a favorite choice for young single professionals- almost 75% of the workforce here are executives, managers and professionals, followed next by sales and service workers. Broadway in particular is an older neighborhood, with a concentration of studios and apartments primarily built before 1939. Median real estate here is priced at $610,000 to $757,884, with the average rent around $1,918/month to $2,267/month (a very high 84% of residents are renters). Broadway also has the unique distinction of housing more same sex couples living together than 98% of other neighborhoods in the entire US. Residents enjoy that the Broadway and “Cap Hill” areas are drivable and walkable, with good local foods and bars. They do not enjoy the problems raised with homelessness in the area. Property crime such as theft or burglary, and nightlife-related crimes are above the Seattle average here, though there are still low violent crimes rates- similar to the overall crime pattern across Seattle.
Matthews Beach
One of the best low-crime neighborhoods in Seattle is the suburban neighborhood of Matthews Beach. Located in northeast Seattle, it is close to downtown, and is another pricey area filled with luxury homes. CrimeGrade gives the area an overall crime grade of A. It is one of Seattle’s family-friendly neighborhoods with well accredited schools, recreational options, and favorite hang-outs such as Willy’s Cafe, The Breakfast Club, and Magnuson Cafe and Brewery. Residents enjoy Seattle’s largest freshwater bathing beach- its namesake Matthews Beach in the 22-acre Matthews Beach Park. 20.91% rent here, with rents at $2,054/month. The rest of the residents own- additionally 32.68% of owners own their homes free and clear. The median house price is $782,183 more than 3 times the national average. Cost of living here is 92% higher than the rest of the country, so it makes sense that the median income in Matthews Beach is $134,463- that’s 143% higher than the US average.
Wedgwood
The annual Wedgwood Art Festival reflects Wedgwood’s creative vibe and showcases the area’s wonderful restaurants, bars and cafes to the numerous visitors that attend from throughout Seattle. Both trendy and family-friendly, Seattle’s northeast neighborhood of Wedgwood offers residents respected schools, numerous churches and synagogues, a Seattle Festival Orchestra SFO, and a concentration of favorite shopping along 35th AVE NE. Crime rate statistics in this neighborhood are very good, with an overall safety rate of A– . Median house prices are $1,018,196 (up 4.9% from last year) with 73% of homes being owner-occupied. For the 27% of residents that are renters, they pay about $2,347/month.
Ballard
This northern Seattle neighborhood has grown from a blue-collar seafaring enclave into a trendy waterfront neighborhood full of fine restaurants, quirky breweries, indie boutiques, and lively dive bars and cocktail joints. Maybe this evolution explains the continued battle between homeless problems/decline vs. gentrification. This creative neighborhood appeals to many young professionals and students. The median age among the 30,000 residents of Ballard is 34.4 years old. 59% of residents in Ballard are renters, with Ballard rents staying around $1,890 for a 1 bedroom place. Median sold prices of houses here is $879,987– up more than 3.5% from last year. Unfortunately CrimeGrade gives Ballard a D+ for its rate of crime. This is likely due to the property crimes (theft, burglary) of the many retail and recreational attractions the area has (violent crimes are still low here as in the rest of Seattle).
Arbor Heights
This suburban enclave in west Seattle is made up mostly of single-family homes on quiet streets, many which sit on hillsides overlooking the Puget Sound. 83% of residents own here, with a median household income of $136,348- necessary since the average house values are $908,028. One bedroom rentals average around $1,850/month. Almost 67% of the working population here are white collar workers in executive or management positions, with a further 13.1% of residents employed in sales and service jobs. As compared to other secure places to live, Arbor Heights has a crime rate that is 19% below Seattle’s average. Students that live here do so because of its reputation of having some of the best public transportation in the US.
Laurelhurst
Renters are in the majority in Laurelhurst WA (68.24% of residents are renters) despite the rents being high at $3,994/month. This is because the average Laurelhurst house price is quite high- valued at between $1,928,753 to $2,839,547. White collar workers make up 92.06% of the working population here, with jobs in private companies, governmental institutions, and as entrepreneurs. The commute to work from Laurelhurst is generally easy- 51.5% of the employed residents only spend 15-30 minutes commuting. This quiet residential area has good schools, beautiful homes, tennis courts and athletic fields, even a private Beach Club. There is a good mix of restaurants and businesses available. CrimeGrade gives Laurelhurst an overall crime grade of B.
Belltown
If you like education, Belltown is the place for you! It’s home to Antioch University, Argosy University, City University of Seattle and Seattle School of Theology and Psychology. The urban location of Belltown has also repeatedly been dubbed one of the most walkable neighborhoods in Seattle with access to everything you could need- Belltown’s resident retirees and students would agree. Median rents in Belltown are $2,399/month (27% higher than the national average) and 81% of properties are renter occupied. Median home prices in the area are around $550,000. Although most Belltown residents feel safe with an increase in police patrols, actively involved neighborhood watch groups, and crime-deterring technology, CrimeGrade gives Belltown an overall safety grade of D-.
Blue Ridge
This quaint community was established by Boeing’s founder in the 1920’s, and is mainly a residential neighborhood with scenic views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. The community has several highly rated schools, a clubhouse and pool, scenic walking trails, plus access to beachside parks like Barkeep Park and Golden Gardens Park on Puget Sound. Students at nearby University of Washington and Seattle University enjoy the area’s coffee spots (such as Beth’s Cafe and Wild Mountain Cafe). This established neighborhood is filled with expensive Cape Cod and Tudor style homes averaging $1,543,945 (with average rents around 2,000-$2,500/month). 78.8% of the working people here are white collar executives, managers and professionals (and almost 40% of them work from home). It is not surprising that the cost of living in Blue Ridge is 90% higher than the national average. Blue Ridge is considered a very safe Seattle neighborhood with a low crime rate of 2.1 incidents per 1,000 residents.
So if you do end up relocating to Seattle for a greater career opportunity with one of the many Fortune 500 companies in the area, here’s a helpful analysis of various neighborhoods. This will aid you in identifying which communities might be the safest and best options for you and your family.
