You will soon be staying in the Emerald City and want to know the neighborhoods to avoid in Seattle, the most dangerous and the best ones to stay in. It's true that these days, it's better to find out about the neighborhoods where you're going to stay, particularly in large American or European cities.
Even if Seattle is not among the most dangerous cities in the United States, there are still neighborhoods to avoid.
So, to help you spot the most dangerous and best neighborhoods to stay in Seattle, here is a guide with a map of the city's main neighborhoods.
All the information in this article comes from the web (economic media, local press, world rankings and statistics). This guide is a synthesis of data and therefore does not involve any judgment or discrimination.
Is Seattle a dangerous city in 2024?
NO, we can say that in 2024 Seattle is not one of the most dangerous cities in the United States. You will be able to see this yourself by consulting the statistics of the FBI, city-data.com or Seattle Police official report.
This is also what we see on the Numbeo ranking of the most criminal cities of America updated in 2024. Indeed, Seattle is positioned in 14th position out of the 32 American cities classified according to their level of crime. With a crime index of 54.88, Seattle is therefore average.
In comparison, Seattle would be less dangerous than many other American cities like Sound, Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia ou New Orleans.
And if we compare the figures to world level, Seattle is much safer than cities like Cape Town, Sao Paulo, Naples, Marseille ou Lima.
However, Seattle's crime rate has risen sharply:
Police Chief Adrian Diaz said, "We've had a more than 95 percent increase in the number of shots fired and a 171 percent increase in the number of people shot compared to last year." Source: Newspaper article The Seattle Times
Is Seattle dangerous for tourists?
NO but, as in all big cities, tourists must remain cautious. In fact, travelers will simply have to avoid some less safe or less interesting areas for tourism and remain vigilant at tourist sites (risk of pickpockets, scams, phone thefts for example).
Map of Seattle Neighborhoods
There are 7 districts in the city of Seattle numbered from 1 to 7, which are themselves divided into neighborhoods (see details on the site of the city of seattle).
To help you locate the Seattle neighborhoods to avoid (list below), here is the map of the main neighborhoods: Google map
Seattle's Most Dangerous Neighborhoods
You can check the map of the most dangerous areas of Seattle in 2024 on the official site: Seattle Police Department.
And, cross-referencing with other online statistics, without being very unsafe neighborhoods, here are the neighborhoods considered to be the least safe in Seattle:
- northgate
- Queen Anne
- Capitol Hill
- Downtown Commercial
- UniversityDistrict
- South Ballard
- Sand point
- Belltown
- South Lake Union
- Atlantic
- Lower Queen Anne
- South Park
- Georgetown
- Roxhill
- Delridge
- Rainier Beach
Dangerous is defined as the Seattle neighborhoods that have the highest per capita rates of violent and property crime. Click on their links to locate them on Google Maps.
Neighborhoods to avoid in Seattle
In addition to these neighborhoods listed above, here is a list of places to avoid in Seattle especially at night:
- 3rd Avenue in the neighborhood Pike Place Market and Pine Street;
- The area around 1st Avenue and around Blanchard and Bell in the neighborhood Belltown ;
- The area of South of Dearborn Street to Yesler Way ;
- Some areas of The Martin Luther King JR Way.
Seattle Red Light Districts
Among the neighborhoods to avoid in Seattle, we should also mention the red light districts even if they are not necessarily dangerous. Among those with the worst reputation is the area aroundAurora Avenue which is located in the Liton Springs neighborhood.
Best neighborhoods to stay in Seattle
Impossible to say which is the best or the most beautiful neighborhood in Seattle. Indeed, the city of Seattle has many beautiful neighborhoods that all have their own identity. Some specificities will be appreciated by some and perhaps not by others. Choosing the best neighborhood depends on tastes and the type of stay planned.
But, as in all cities, there are neighborhoods that are more popular and more fashionable than others. Among the best and safest neighborhoods, professionals and real estate agencies in Seattle cite the following:
- Blue ridge
- North Beach
- Ballard
- Hawthorne Hills
- Matthews Beach
- Arbor Heights
- View Ridge
- Wedgwood
- Bryant
- laurelhurst
Where to stay in Seattle for tourists?
For tourists looking for where to stay in Seattle, the most touristic area is Downtown.
Downtown tourist district of Seattle
This area of downtown Seattle is home to the Central Waterfront, Aquarium, Space Needle, Pike Place Market, historic Pioneer Square, Museum of Pop Culture, Chihuly Garden and Glass, the Children's Museum, the Olympic Sculpture Park, the Paramount Theater, the Alaskan Way, and more.
See location of this neighborhood
Best area to stay in Downtown Seattle
Downtown has several sub-districts (Pioneer Square, International District, Pike Place Market, First Hill, Yesler Terrace, Belltown) and a few areas to avoid (see above). So, we might ask ourselves, where is the best place to stay in Downtown Seattle?
Faced with the immense hotel offer found in Downtown Seattle, the best location in a safe area for tourists is on the Waterfront.
Here is the hotel that I recommend for its services and its ideal location close to the tourist sites of Seattle: The Edgewater a Noble House Hotel.
And for those looking for a good hotel a little cheaper, here is the Homewood Suites by Hilton Seattle Downtown.
How to visit Seattle?
Here are some ideas for interesting and practical excursions to visit Seattle: Seattle Sightseeing Bus ou Sky View Observatory Seattle