Seattle is a beautiful port city in the Pacific Northwest United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of nearly 750,000 it’s the largest city in not only the state of Washington, but the entire Pacific Northwest. Nicknamed The Emerald City and known for a generous and happy Populus, Seattle is the 133rd safest city in the country according to WalletHub. Even for one of the safest cities in the country, there are better neighborhoods than others to live in. Families moving into Seattle often want to know where the safest neighborhoods are for their children to live, to start a business, or to retire in. We’ve taken the liberty to compile a list of the safest Seattle neighborhoods, as well as the ones you should avoid.
Crime Stats in Seattle
Compared to the national average for cities above half a million in population, Seattle is a safe city and sets itself well apart from the violent riff raff. Murder rates per 100k citizens sit over 20% lower than the rest of the country. Seattle takes safety seriously as there are nearly 2,000 active law enforcement employees, which results in nearly 2 officers per 1,000 people living in the city. In 2019, there were fewer than 39,000 total crimes committed, which is excellent when you remember there are three quarters of a million people in the city!
Since the pandemic ended, crime has actually been on the downward swing. The city police department is very transparent in the crime statistics. They’ve got an interactive dashboard right on the website that shows crime is on the downward swing as everything has opened back up and the world has returned to normalcy. The dashboard allows you to see the safest areas in the city for yourself. We recommend everybody take a look at this and play around with the dashboard before deciding exactly where in the city to relocate to. No two needs will be alike so try to allow your own personal situation to dictate what Seattle neighborhoods are best for you.
Safest Neighborhoods in Seattle
Figuring out what the safest Seattle neighborhoods are was shockingly simple using the public data provided by local law enforcement. We analyzed that data and referred to a variety of other public resources to provide our customers with this list of the five safest neighborhoods in Seattle. It is not a coincidence that the 5 safest neighborhoods are all coastal.
#1 – Alki Point in West Seattle – Wealthy Neighborhood with Excellent Schools
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- Crime: Only 175 of the 33,600+ committed, only 14 being violent
- Median Home Price: $895,000
- Great for: Wealthy families and retirees
If you can afford to move to Alki Point, do it. There is less crime than almost anywhere else in Seattle. Because most of the population is very well off, the only real threat to crime is when some individuals find their way to the beautiful homes in an attempt to thieve. Local PD make it a point to patrol Alki Point excessively and the data shows they’ve been successful at keeping the crime rates down to a near non-existent level.
The coast provides plenty of fun activities including boating, fishing, and jet-skiing while the streets inland gain quite a lot of tourist activity throughout the year. Opening a side business is appealing for many retirees who can supplement their retirement income with easy, passive tourism income. The schools in Alki Point all rank well above most of the city’s schools – but even the “bad” schools in Seattle are better than much of the nation.
#2 – Fauntleroy in West Seattle – Affluent Neighborhood Ideal for Families
- Crime: Only 116 of the 33,600+ committed, only 5 being violent
- Median Home Price: $878,500
- Great for: Wealthy families and retirees
A less tourist visited version of the aforementioned Alki Point, Fauntleroy is probably even more family oriented. The same rules apply as far as the population being pretty wealthy and the police force taking pride in protecting these individuals. Though the cost of living in Fauntleroy almost rivals Alki Point, a case can be made that the money goes a bit further when it comes to homes and businesses. Some of Seattle’s most beautiful homes are located in Fauntleroy.
Fauntleroy is home to a number of public beaches and parks for locals to enjoy. Lincoln Park separates Alki Point and Fauntleroy and provides ample activities for families and groups to enjoy. The Gratewood school system in Fauntleroy enjoys a friendly rivalry with those in Alki Point and has similar reviews and ratings to boot.
#3 – Rainier View in Southeastern Seattle – Affordable Suburban Neighborhood with Above Average Public Schools
- Crime: Only 154 of the 33,600+ committed, only 21 being violent
- Median Home Price: $670,000
- Great for: Families, working professionals, and retirees on a budget
The crime rating is slightly higher than the top two options but still lower than most of the rest of the safest neighborhood options in Seattle. Rainier View is also a much more affordable neighborhood than the other two we’ve mentioned but still has plenty of police presence. Located on the opposite coast, Rainier View is an East Coast neighborhood composed of middle-upper class individuals working in the inner city and bringing their living to the suburb. Houses are nice, there is little to no tourism, and communities are friendly foes when it comes to school systems. The schools aren’t quite as top notch but they’re still at or above the national average for public schools.
#4 – Lakewood in Eastern Seattle – Great Neighborhood for Entrepreneurs
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- Crime: Only 117 of the 33,600+ committed, only 8 being violent
- Median Home Price: $820,000
- Great for: Wealthy families, entrepreneurs, working professionals, and retirees
Lakewood is probably the most robust neighborhood for small business in Seattle. With a huge population of nearly 70,000 residents, nearly every kind of service is needed. There are a number of schools, hospitals, and hundreds of other well established small businesses. While you can certainly work in downtown Seattle and commute to this beautiful community, there is no better neighborhood for entrepreneurs and small businesses people to try to make a go of it.
The top schools remain very strong in Lakewood while the bottom schools are more along the lines of national average. Some of this is because of finances while others are simply because of location. The further south in Lakewood, the worse the school system rating it would seem.
#5 – Madrona in Eastern Seattle – Diverse and Safe Area Near Downtown Seattle
- Crime: Only 349 of the 33,600+ committed, only 32 being violent
- Median Home Price: $899,950
- Great for: Wealthy families and working professionals
As we approach closer to the national average for crimes per 1000, the community still remains remarkably safe. 349 violent crimes reported for the year keeps Madrona far safer than most neighborhoods in the nation. Since Madrona is a bit closer to downtown, the uptick in crime is expected as it’s a little easier for inner city delinquents to make their way to nice homes. Don’t let the uptick scare you away as there are more people living in Madrona than the other communities!
Being one of the more racially diverse communities in Seattle has allowed the school systems to flourish in culture and has cultivated a cohesive lifestyle among the different ethnicities. You will want to pick your school poison wisely though as some schools are well above the national average for education and safety and others seem to be well below it.
High Crime Areas of Seattle (Neighborhoods to Avoid)
Using the same data and tools at our disposal, we could figure out the most dangerous neighborhoods easily as well. Most Seattle crime is limited to robberies and property crime. The city isn’t among the most violent, certainly when you consider its population, but there are definitely a few high crime areas to avoid living in if you can as they can get unsafe after the sun sets. We’d recommend avoiding the following neighborhoods as they’re the most unsafe Seattle neighborhoods to live in:
- Northgate
- Queen Anne
- Ballard
- Capital Hill
- Roosevelt
- Central
While it is perfectly fine to travel through these neighborhoods during the daylight, even for children, we’d only recommend working in them rather than living in them. Unless you’ve got a nice apartment well off the ground floor, that is. There are plenty of opportunities for single people or working professionals that aren’t interested in having a family and being so close to work has its advantages.
FAQs about Safe Seattle Neighborhoods
Is it safe to live in Seattle, Washington?
Yes, it is safe to live in Seattle, WA. The police keep it safe. As with any city there are areas that are safer than others and even some neighborhoods to avoid – but overall, the crime rate is lower than average and Seattle is a safe place to live with most of the crime being property related crimes rather than violent crimes.
What parts of Seattle should I avoid?
Avoid downtown after it gets dark. And you should consider avoiding moving to any of the neighborhoods with the highest crime rates, including Northgate, Queen Anne, Ballard, Capital Hill, Roosevelt, and Central.
What are the safest neighborhoods in Seattle?
The safest Seattle neighborhoods are Alki Point, Fauntleroy, Rainier View, Lakewood, and Madrona.
Map of Safe Neighborhoods in Seattle
The safest neighborhoods in Seattle tend to be on either of the coastlines while the closer you get to downtown becomes a bit more unsafe. Most of the schools are above the national average for safety and for educational prowess and those on the Eastern side of the city provide a nice cultural melting pot for children to grow up in. Call the best movers in Seattle at All Ready Moving and we’ll be happy to relocate you to the new city of your dreams, filled with opportunities for you, your family, and your/or your business!
