The Best Seattle Neighborhoods for Families

Ready to move your family to one of Seattle, Washington’s great neighborhoods?

Seattle has a lot to offer for just about everyone. No matter what you are into, the lifestyle you crave or your ideal type of home, Seattle just about has it all. Despite its reputation as one of the most popular cities for young and single high tech workers and millennials, there are some great family friendly neighborhoods too. Even outside of Seattle’s highly walkable downtown, there are great Seattle suburbs and even more rural towns and neighborhoods to choose from.

Choosing The Right Seattle Neighborhood To Buy A Home In

Perhaps even more important than the type or size of home itself, or its features, making a great home purchase that you’ll continue to be happy about is about choosing the right neighborhood.

So, what are some of the top factors to look at when choosing a neighborhood for your family?

Schools

If you still haven’t switched to homeschooling, then the Washington State school district you fall in may be a top priority. Check out their reviews, how easy it is to get in, and costs if you are going private.

Crime Rates

If you have kids, one of your top concerns is probably their safety. What are local crime rates like? Take a look at the types of crimes too. You may want to weigh this data with recent influences, such as unique events, or whether there has been political pressure to inflate or deflate arrests and crime reports.

Property Prices

The prices have to be within your price range. Though you also want to look at the direction of Seattle property values. Are they going up or down? This may not matter too much right now if you plan to keep this as a long term home. Though if you may move again in a couple of years you may not want to purchase at the peak of the market.

Property Taxes

Property taxes can differ widely based on neighborhood. While your individual home’s features will be a major influencer of your property tax assessment and bill, the neighborhood can make a big difference too.

Overall Costs

In addition to the price of your home, monthly mortgage payments and annual property taxes, it is smart to look at the overall cost. That may include association dues, special taxes, transportation, childcare, and everyday living expenses compared with other areas.

Trends

Things rarely, if ever stay the same. So, take all of these factors into consideration and look at the direction they are likely to trend in.

Look at Miami or New York, and you’ll see that while they are still popular as cities, the most trendy neighborhoods have changed over time and still are. It may now be North Miami and Brooklyn that are more popular than South Beach or Manhattan. That is still evolving too.

So, if you are just starting a family, think about what this neighborhood might be like when your children are heading off to school, or you may be passing it onto them. You might pick one that isn’t so hip today, but might be in 10 years. That could yield a much better deal than buying what was hot last year, and may be declining for the foreseeable future.

Best Seattle Neighborhoods For Families In 2020

Ballard

Sitting on the edge of Lake Washington’s ship canal, Ballard blends trendy new shops and craft breweries with the area’s historic culture. It offers around average home prices for Seattle, with slightly above average school ratings.

South Lake Union

Although still close to downtown, South Lake Union offers a desirable choice for couples and young families who are working in Seattle’s hot tech sector. It’s home to Amazon, offers more modern architecture, and is walkable.

Leschi

If you are looking for a quieter neighborhood and love the water, then Leschi might be for your family. Considered one of Seattle’s nicest neighborhoods, you’ll find Leschi on Lake Washington, with lots of boating around.

North Admiral

For those looking to get away from downtown, across the bridge, this West Seattle neighborhood offers ocean views and your choice of everything from condos to mansions for sale.

Montlake

One of Seattle’s more affluent and green neighborhoods, Montlake offers great parks, coffee shops, and stately homes with beautiful yards to buy. Expect to pay more to live here, but if you can afford it, this could be one of your top choices for raising a family in Seattle.

Redmond

North and Southeast Redmond offer some of the top rated area neighborhoods for public schools, families and safety. There are still great tech jobs here, and though quieter than downtown Seattle you can still head in to check out all the action when you want to.

Greenwood

Although just about a 15 minute drive from downtown Seattle, Greenwood offers less traffic, safer places for the kids to play and parents to shop, and is slightly cheaper when it comes to average home prices.

Summary

This is a popular year for moving out of downtown and into Seattle’s quieter and more family friendly neighborhoods. If you are moving to Seattle this year, then 2020’s historic events might prompt you to look a little further out from the center too. It’s a great time to make the move while interest rates are still low and mortgage money is still available.