Sell Now 206 / Seattle Neighborhoods
Seattle, by zip code.
Where a house sits and what kind of house it is decide who will want it, and how quickly. Below is a plain index of nine Seattle neighborhoods, with their zip codes and an honest note on the housing in each. You won’t find prices here. They move too fast to print, and I’d rather run fresh like-kind sales for your address.
Seattle neighborhoods and their zip codes
Ballard is 98107. Fremont and Wallingford share 98103. Queen Anne is 98109 and 98119, Magnolia is 98199, and Capitol Hill is 98102, 98112 and 98122. West Seattle takes in 98116, 98126 and 98136, among others, Beacon Hill is 98144 and 98108, and Columbia City is 98118.
| Neighborhood | Zip codes | Character of the housing |
|---|---|---|
| Ballard | 98107 | Early 1900s bungalows and craftsman houses on small lots, with townhouses and apartments filling in along the arterials. |
| Fremont | 98103 | Older houses climbing the hill above the Ship Canal, plenty of them added onto over the years, mixed with newer townhouses. |
| Wallingford | 98103 | Craftsman houses and foursquares on a steady grid north of Lake Union, similar from one block to the next. |
| Queen Anne | 98109, 98119 | Victorians and craftsman homes on top of the hill. Condos and apartments on the lower slopes near Seattle Center. |
| Magnolia | 98199 | Older period houses and mid-century homes on a hilly peninsula next to Discovery Park. |
| Capitol Hill | 98102, 98112, 98122 | Large old houses near Volunteer Park. Brick apartment buildings and condos along Broadway and Pike/Pine. |
| West Seattle | 98116, 98126, 98136 | Bungalows and mid-century houses from Alki to Fauntleroy, with townhouses near the Junction. |
| Beacon Hill | 98144, 98108 | Early twentieth century and post-war houses along a ridge that looks back at downtown. |
| Columbia City | 98118 | Craftsman houses near the historic Rainier Ave S storefronts, and newer townhouses near the light rail station. |
How the neighborhood changes a fast sale
Two houses a mile apart can call for opposite plans. A clean craftsman on a quiet Wallingford street is a strong candidate for a fast-track listing, because buyers there know exactly what they’re looking at and comparable sales are easy to read. A tired house on a bigger lot near an arterial in Ballard may get more serious attention from builders and investors through a cash offer request.
Condos are their own case in every neighborhood. A Capitol Hill condo sale depends as much on the building as the unit: the association’s reserves and any special assessments. Buyers’ lenders look at the same documents, so it helps to have them ready on day one.
Age matters too. Most of these neighborhoods were built out in the early twentieth century, which means oil tanks, side sewers and old wiring are part of the conversation almost everywhere on this page.
Ballard
Zip code 98107
Ballard was its own city until 1907, and the old Scandinavian fishing town still shows in the brick storefronts on Ballard Avenue and the working boats around the Ship Canal and the Locks. The residential blocks are mostly early 1900s bungalows and craftsman houses on narrow lots, some with original windows and low basements you duck to walk through.
Along 15th Ave NW, NW Market Street and 24th Ave NW, older houses have given way to townhouses and apartment buildings. For a seller, that split matters. A clean bungalow draws buyers who want the character. A worn one on a larger lot can draw builders. Older houses here are prime candidates for an oil tank question and a sewer scope.
Fremont
Zip code 98103
Fremont sits where the Aurora Bridge and the Fremont Bridge cross the Ship Canal, with the Burke-Gilman Trail running along the water and the troll crouched under the Aurora Bridge. The houses climb the hill north from the canal: older craftsman and some Victorian-era houses, many of them converted or added onto over a century, mixed with modern townhouses on lots that were redeveloped.
Fremont buyers often care about layout and light more than raw square footage. Additions and basement conversions from past decades are common, so it’s worth pulling the permit history before you list. A finished basement without permits changes both the price and the disclosure.
Wallingford
Zip code 98103, shared with Fremont
Wallingford runs east of Fremont, from Lake Union and Gas Works Park up past N 45th Street. The housing is steadier than most of the city: craftsman houses and foursquares on a regular grid, many carefully kept, with few large apartment buildings on the residential streets.
Because the stock is so consistent, comparable sales are easier to read here than in most of the city, and that helps a listing get priced right on the first day. Expect buyers to look closely at foundations and wiring, since a lot of these houses are a century old or close to it.
Queen Anne
Zip codes 98109 and 98119
Queen Anne is two neighborhoods stacked on one hill, with 98109 and 98119 dividing it between them. The top of the hill has Victorians and craftsman houses, with Queen Anne Boulevard looping the summit. Kerry Park, on the south slope, is where the postcard view of the skyline is taken. Lower Queen Anne is denser: condos and apartments close to Seattle Center and Climate Pledge Arena.
The hill and the lower slopes sell as two separate markets. On the hill, buyers expect the view to be priced with care, and steep-lot details like retaining walls and drainage to be explained up front.
Magnolia
Zip code 98199
Magnolia is a hilly peninsula west of Interbay, reached by the Magnolia Bridge and two other crossings over the rail yard, on W Dravus and W Emerson streets. The housing is a mix of older period houses and mid-century homes, with view houses along Magnolia Boulevard W looking over Puget Sound toward the Olympics. Discovery Park fills the northwest corner.
Much of Magnolia is single-family, so buyers compare view and condition house by house. Older homes here carry the usual Seattle list, starting with oil tanks and side sewers, and it pays to check them before a buyer does.
Capitol Hill
Zip codes 98102, 98112 and 98122
Capitol Hill holds some of the oldest and largest houses in the city, especially around Volunteer Park and along 14th Ave E, the stretch long known as Millionaire’s Row. It also holds some of the densest blocks: early twentieth century brick apartment buildings, some since converted to condos, and newer buildings along Broadway and the Pike/Pine corridor.
98102 covers the western side of the hill down toward Eastlake. 98112 runs east toward Madison Valley and Montlake. Big old houses can carry big deferred maintenance, which is where a cash buyer’s math and a listing’s math can land far apart. For condos, the sale depends on the building as much as the unit, so gather the association documents early.
West Seattle
Zip codes 98116, 98126 and 98136
West Seattle sits across the Duwamish Waterway and is reached mainly by the West Seattle Bridge, which gives it the feel of its own town. 98116 takes in Alki and much of the Admiral District. 98136 runs south toward Fauntleroy, where ferries leave for Vashon Island and Southworth. 98126 covers the eastern side toward Delridge and High Point. The Junction, on California Ave SW, is the commercial center.
The housing runs from beach bungalows and view homes above Alki to mid-century houses on the plateau and newer townhouses near the Junction. Houses on the slopes and bluffs bring drainage and hillside questions that buyers will ask about, so have any geotechnical or drainage records ready.
Beacon Hill
Zip codes 98144 and 98108
Beacon Hill runs along a long ridge south of downtown, with a light rail station deep underground near Beacon Ave S and Jefferson Park and its golf course farther along the ridge. North Beacon Hill, largely 98144, has early twentieth century houses and views back toward the skyline. 98108 takes in more of the hill to the south and reaches down toward Georgetown.
The mix runs from older bungalows to newer townhouses. A house with a clear downtown view and one tucked behind a greenbelt are different sales, even a few blocks apart, which is why comps here have to be pulled close to the address.
Columbia City
Zip code 98118
Columbia City’s old business district along Rainier Ave S is a city landmark district, and the light rail station on Martin Luther King Jr. Way S is a short walk away. 98118 also covers Hillman City and Seward Park, so the zip code runs from houses near Lake Washington to craftsman bungalows and new townhouses by the station.
Buyers who want light rail pay close attention to walking distance. Near the station, redevelopment has added townhouses, and some older houses on larger lots draw interest from builders. That is worth knowing before you choose between listing and a cash offer request.