Sunset Hill

Seattle's Ballard district, about 5.9 miles from downtown, in King County.

Researched and written by Ryan Rose · Updated October 29, 2026

Golden Gardens Park is one of the parks I found inside Sunset Hill's boundaries, alongside Sunset Hill Park and Webster Park, in Seattle's Ballard district. My records show an average home size of 2,124 sq ft, larger than 80% of Seattle neighborhoods, and a median year built of 1940, older than 80%. I also noted 72 transit stops within a quarter mile. Sidewalk coverage is an estimated 72.1%, and average block length is 413 ft.

Illustration of a residential street of detached single-family houses, built mostly in the 1940s. — Illustration

I marked Sunset Hill on a map of Seattle drawn from the neighborhood boundaries the city publishes. Downtown is marked for reference.

At a glance

Area: 555 acres
Homes: 2,669
Median year built: 1940 Older than 80% of Seattle neighborhoods
Average home size: 2,124 sq ft Larger than 80% of Seattle neighborhoods
Average lot size: 5,849 sq ft

90.2% single-family, 4.8% townhouse, 1.6% condominium, 2.6% duplex to fourplex, 0.7% apartment

I compared each figure with the 82 other Seattle neighborhoods I have researched that have at least 100 residential parcels.

Getting around on foot

Intersections per sq mile: 114 Fewer than 75% of Seattle neighborhoods
Average block length: 413 ft Longer than 65% of Seattle neighborhoods
Sidewalk coverage: 72.1% (my estimate)
Transit stops within ¼ mile: 72
Everyday categories within ½ mile: 7 Fewer than 80% of Seattle neighborhoods

I compared each figure with the 82 other Seattle neighborhoods I have researched that have at least 100 residential parcels.

Parks and recreation

Golden Gardens Park, Sunset Hill Park, Webster Park

Schools in and near this neighborhood

Licton Springs K-8 PK–8 Seattle School District No. 1
Adams Elementary School K–5 Seattle School District No. 1
Loyal Heights Elementary School K–5 Seattle School District No. 1
LIGHTHOUSE MONTESSORI
MATHEIA SCHOOL
North Beach Elementary School PK–5 Seattle School District No. 1

Food, drink and daily errands

Restaurants: 7
Cafes: 4
Bars and pubs: 1
Grocery: 1
Pharmacies: 0

Restaurants and coffee I found nearby

Jibe Espresso Bar Coffee · Inside the neighborhood
Little Coney's American · Inside the neighborhood
Pico Cafe & Bakery Coffee · Inside the neighborhood Patio
Picolinos Italian · Inside the neighborhood Patio
Un Bien Caribbean · Inside the neighborhood
Miri’s Snack Shack Restaurant · Inside the neighborhood
Happy Crab Boiling Seafood Seafood · Inside the neighborhood Patio
Sunny Hill Pizza · Inside the neighborhood Patio
Fiore Sunset Hill Coffee · Inside the neighborhood
Ray's Boathouse and Café Seafood · Inside the neighborhood Patio

I pulled these from OpenStreetMap: the nearest named restaurants and cafes, starting inside the neighborhood and measured from its edge. Places marked Patio have outdoor seating, from my research for Outdoor Seating Near Me, my other site; the photos come from that research too.

Housing context

Median home value: $1,111,200
Median gross rent: $2,599
Owner-occupied: 79.4%
Renter-occupied: 20.6%

I pulled these from the census tract that covers this neighborhood, so they describe the tract, not the neighborhood itself. I report housing and housing cost only.