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Seattle home buyers consider many different factors before entering the real estate market. That’s why buyers typically explore Seattle’s most popular neighborhoods before making a purchase.
Before paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for a home in Seattle, you want to make sure the neighborhood is a good fit for your lifestyle. This is arguably just as important as the house itself.
So let’s explore the most popular neighborhoods in Seattle from a home-buying perspective.
To prepare for this article, we reviewed over a dozen lists of the “best” and “most popular” neighborhoods in Seattle, Washington. We then cross-referenced the rankings to find the overlapping neighborhoods that appeared on multiple lists.
Four Seattle neighborhoods in particular came up repeatedly: Ballard, Capitol Hill, Queen Anne, and West Seattle.
This guide overviews these popular Seattle neighborhoods, including local real estate market conditions and home prices.
The Ballard neighborhood is located in the northwestern portion of Seattle, Washington. Its official boundaries are formed by:
This popular neighborhood offers easy access to several local landmarks and tourist attractions. These include the Ballard Locks, the National Nordic Museum, Shilshole Bay Marina, and Golden Gardens Park.
The Ballard neighborhood appeals to different types of home buyers for various reasons. Young professionals like the trendy vibe, proximity to tech jobs, and abundant nightlife. Families enjoy excellent schools, safe streets, and family-friendly activities like Golden Gardens Park.
Real estate market: Due to its popularity, the Ballard neighborhood is fairly expensive by Seattle standards. At the start of 2024, the median sale price for homes in this area was $912,500, up 7.4% from a year earlier. It’s one of the most competitive and fast-moving real estate “micro markets” in Seattle. Homes listed for sale in this neighborhood spent a median of just 12 days on the market before going under contract.
Capitol Hill is another one of Seattle’s most popular neighborhoods. It has a diverse and progressive vibe and is considered to be an “LGBTQ+ epicenter” by VisitSeattle.org. This neighborhood is located just east of downtown Seattle.
This neighborhood also has many Victorian-era homes, colorful murals, live music venues, parks, and green spaces. The demographics for Capitol Hill tend to skew younger, with many urban professionals, artists, and students calling the neighborhood home.
Real estate market: Seattle’s Capitol Hill is more affordable than the other popular neighborhoods of Seattle. Realtor.com said the median listing price for homes was around $667,000 at the start of 2024. Home buyers might encounter tight inventory conditions when shopping for a home in Capitol Hill, the same as most other Seattle neighborhoods.
The popular Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle offers a mix of the urban and suburban. It’s a family-friendly, upscale area with scenic views, parks, and beaches. There are plenty of charming houses and tree-lined streets to be found in this popular neighborhood.
Queen Anne is situated northwest of downtown Seattle and overlooks the city. As for demographics, this neighborhood is home to many families, young professionals, and retirees. It offers something for everyone.
Real estate market: As one of the pricier neighborhoods in Seattle, Queen Anne had a median sale price of $975,000 in early 2024. That was an increase of more than 8% from a year earlier, evidence of the strong demand from home buyers. Be prepared to move quickly when attempting to buy a home in the Queen Anne neighborhood. Properties tend to sell fast.
West Seattle (which is technically a combination of smaller neighborhoods) is located southwest of downtown Seattle, just across the Duwamish River.
It’s a laid-back residential area with a number of popular attractions and amenities. The sandy strip of Alki Beach is popular with kayakers, volleyball players, and sunbathers. The coastal path offers stunning views of Puget Sound and the Seattle skyline.
West Seattle is also less crowded than some other popular neighborhoods and known for having excellent schools.
Real estate market: West Seattle currently has the most competitive real estate market in the area, with more than 30% of homes selling above the list price. According to Redfin, the median sale price was around $750,000 in early 2024. Homes here tend to sell faster than in other Seattle neighborhoods.
While they might share certain features in common, Seattle’s best neighborhoods all have their own unique vibes. So, you’ll want to do plenty of research before choosing a place to call home.
Here’s how to choose the right Seattle neighborhood for you:
Exploring various communities in a city is an essential component of buying a home in Seattle. Before taking the plunge, take some time to check out Seattle’s most popular neighborhoods.
Sammamish Mortgage serves borrowers all across the Seattle metro area. We offer many mortgage loan products, including some with low down payments that are ideal for Seattle’s pricier neighborhoods. Please contact us with your financing questions and get pre-approved for a home in Seattle!
Whether you’re buying a home or ready to refinance, our professionals can help.
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No Obligation and transparency 24/7. Instantly compare live rates and costs from our network of lenders across the country. Real-time accurate rates and closing costs for a variety of loan programs custom to your specific situation.