Population 36,861 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Downtown Seattle
Household size in Downtown Seattle
| Period | Downtown Seattle | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.56 | 2.52 | 2.56 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 1.66 | 2.59 | 2.62 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 1.73 | 2.62 | 2.62 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.73 | 2.60 | 2.61 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.16 | +0.09 | +0.05 | −0.03 |
Downtown Seattle is a place of small households, averaging 1.73 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has climbed from 1.56 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the north.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Downtown Seattle
| Period | Downtown Seattle | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.9 | 37.5 | 38.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.3 | 38.1 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.7 | 38.5 | 39.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.3 | 38.8 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | −3.7 | +1.3 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
Downtown Seattle is younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 37.3, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has dropped from 40.9 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the west.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Downtown Seattle
| Period | Downtown Seattle | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.5% | 10.3% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 3.5% | 10.0% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 2.6% | 9.2% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.2% | 9.1% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Downtown Seattle: 3.2% of households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share has edged down 1.3 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Downtown Seattle has a lower share of single-parent households than at least four in five Seattle neighborhoods.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Downtown Seattle
Renters in Downtown Seattle
| Period | Downtown Seattle | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 73.3% | 37.7% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 75.4% | 40.0% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 76.8% | 39.9% | 37.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 79.7% | 40.0% | 36.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | +6.4 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Downtown Seattle: 79.7% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among homeowners, 46.2% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the east; owners are most common in the northwest. The renter share has risen 6.4 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Downtown Seattle
| Period | Downtown Seattle | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.6% | 7.9% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.6% | 7.8% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.6% | 6.8% | 8.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.4% | 6.6% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −8.2 pts | −1.3 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Downtown Seattle is close to the national rate: 10.4% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in the Seattle area as a whole (6.6%). Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 8.2 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Downtown Seattle
| Period | Downtown Seattle | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1986 | 1977 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1988 | 1978 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1993 | 1980 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 2002 | 1983 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +15 | +7 | +6 | +6 |
Downtown Seattle has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 2002, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1986 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Of Seattle's 67 neighborhoods, only three have newer homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Downtown Seattle
| Period | Downtown Seattle | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,178 | $1,162 | $1,018 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,487 | $1,284 | $1,127 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,031 | $1,644 | $1,390 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,761 | $2,193 | $1,875 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,584 | +$1,031 | +$858 | +$606 |
Rent in Downtown Seattle runs $2,761 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $1,584 a month from 2006–10, a 134% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 23.7% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the northeast; the most affordable are in the southwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Downtown Seattle
Bachelor's degrees in Downtown Seattle
| Period | Downtown Seattle | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 59.0% | 36.7% | 31.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 62.7% | 38.0% | 32.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 71.6% | 42.3% | 35.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 78.7% | 46.3% | 38.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +19.7 pts | +9.6 pts | +7.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Downtown Seattle is highly educated: about eight in ten adults 25 and older (78.7%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 19.7 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Downtown Seattle
| Period | Downtown Seattle | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.9% | 91.3% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.6% | 91.6% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.1% | 92.5% | 91.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.5% | 93.1% | 91.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.7 pts | +1.8 pts | +2.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Downtown Seattle: 97.5% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 3.7 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Downtown Seattle
| Period | Downtown Seattle | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 6.9% | 7.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.6% | 8.3% | 8.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.9% | 4.5% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.1% | 5.0% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Downtown Seattle runs below the national rate: 4.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 2.2 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Downtown Seattle compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown Seattle | 1.73 | 37.3 | 3.2% | 79.7% | 10.4% | 2002 | $2,761 | 78.7% | 97.5% | 4.1% |
| Madrona | 2.42 | 41.8 | 10.2% | 29.4% | 3.3% | 1942 | $2,421 | 73.5% | 96.9% | 5.4% |
| McGilvra | 2.28 | 43.2 | 3.1% | 57.8% | 10.1% | 1976 | $2,535 | 78.4% | 99.4% | 4.0% |
| Madison Park | 2.29 | 44.3 | 12.2% | 45.9% | 11.3% | 1956 | $2,849 | 83.6% | 98.1% | 10.7% |
| Leschi | 2.26 | 42.2 | 11.1% | 40.0% | 6.2% | 1963 | $2,141 | 72.3% | 95.3% | 6.6% |
| Central District | 1.99 | 33.3 | 6.5% | 66.6% | 6.7% | 1976 | $2,075 | 68.8% | 97.2% | 5.5% |
| Meydenbauer | 2.53 | 41.4 | 5.6% | 45.0% | 8.2% | 1983 | $3,042 | 78.1% | 99.1% | 4.6% |
| Atlantic | 2.07 | 37.7 | 10.0% | 54.4% | 5.4% | 1995 | $1,891 | 59.2% | 90.0% | 5.8% |
| Montlake | 2.46 | 44.7 | 3.4% | 8.9% | 3.4% | 1938 | $3,260 | 84.2% | 98.0% | 4.2% |
| Capitol Hill | 1.63 | 34.6 | 2.9% | 74.1% | 6.6% | 1971 | $2,010 | 75.3% | 98.6% | 4.2% |
| Mt. Baker | 2.38 | 43.2 | 7.8% | 40.2% | 5.8% | 1967 | $1,732 | 61.8% | 89.8% | 2.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Charter Oak, Covina, CA · Old Brooklyn, Cleveland, OH · Watts, Los Angeles, CA · Walnut Valley, Diamond Bar, CA · Carmel Valley, San Diego, CA · Carnegie Hill, Manhattan, NY · Inner Richmond, San Francisco, CA · University District, Seattle, WA · Central City, Los Angeles, CA · Central Escondido, Escondido, CA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Downtown Seattle. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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