Seattle
- A+Overall Grade
- City in Washington
- 854 reviews
- Public SchoolsA-
- Crime & SafetyC
- HousingC
- NightlifeA+
- Good for FamiliesA
- DiversityA
- JobsB+
- WeatherB
- Cost of LivingC-
- Health & FitnessA+
- Outdoor ActivitiesA+
- CommuteA
Real Estate
Median Home Value
$605,200
National
$184,700Median Rent
$1,496
National
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Seattle Rankings
Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.
Seattle Neighborhood Map
Crime & Safety
Crime & Safety
C
Based on violent and property crime rates.
Residents
Working in Seattle
Jobs
B+
Based on employment rates, job and business growth, and cost of living.
Median Household Income
$85,562
National
$55,322Seattle Reviews
854 reviews
All Categories
I love living in the PNW! Residing in Seattle, I get all the benefits of a big city (good food, entertainment, a variety of schools, public transportation, job opportunities, etc...) while maintaining easy access to the beautiful nature of Washington state. There are countless forests, mountains, volcanoes, lakes, waterfalls, parks, and rivers all in easy driving distance, and there's outdoor fun year round if you enjoy skiing, snowboarding, or the like. Although some complain about the weather, it really isn't as rainy as most people make it out to be. The winter occasionally yields snow, and the summer sees sunny days occasionally nearing even ninety degrees. Seattle is pretty diverse, but even though locals generally pride themselves for being liberal and progressive that isn't to say issues like racism, police brutality, or gentrification are non-existent here. Yet every place has its issues, and in Seattle the pros far outweigh the cons!
Wow, I'm an overall very positive, glass half-full kind of person but am shocked at the Niche ratings for Seattle! I've lived here since 1996 and while yes, the summers are absolutely perfect and the outdoors are top-notch; the city itself is not. The homelessness issue has taken over many neighborhoods (including Ballard my last neighborhood and Licton Springs, my latest neighborhood) bringing with them fires, drug activity, prostitution, theft, assault, etc. My neighbors app goes off 5? 10? times a days with notifications that include property theft (100%), burglaries (~40%), prowlers trying to open up doors (~30%) gunshots fired (?). This city doesn't feel safe especially in North Seattle (which is only *minimally* less expensive than other neighborhoods) and you can forget South Seattle as they see confirmed shootings/murders weekly. Oh, and the traffic is insane! How is it that the rating is an 'A'? That just baffles me. No, sadly, Seattle is not the place anymore to be.
I moved up to Seattle for college and with a short 6 month break after graduation, I moved back because it is a place of opportunity. My home town is just 40 minutes south and although I'd love to be closer to family in the Puget Sound area, I've stayed in Seattle to gain more connections in the music industry. That is something I love about Seattle -- music is always happening! Along with music, there's always markets, always amazing exhibits to attend that you wouldn't get elsewhere. I love the outdoors and Seattle is a sweet spot to easily get to 2 different mountain regions, and multiple national forests and parks. I love that I have the best of both city and backcountry life at my fingertips.
If I could change things about Seattle, it would be the consumerist mentality, the traffic, the noise, the homelessness and the law enforcement.
If I could change things about Seattle, it would be the consumerist mentality, the traffic, the noise, the homelessness and the law enforcement.