Matthews Beach

Seattle's Lake City district, about 7.11 miles from downtown, in King County.

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

Matthews Beach Park was the first name I circled in the parcel and park records, and Chinook Passage Natural Area on Thornton Creek and Little Brook Creek Natural Area sit in the same neighborhood. My comparison of 82 other Seattle neighborhoods put average home size at 2,345 sq ft, larger than 90% of them, and average lot size at 8,402 sq ft, larger than 85%. Sidewalk coverage is an estimated 13.1%, lower than all 82 others, and I found blocks averaging 481 ft.

Illustration of a residential street of detached single-family houses, built mostly in the 1950s.
Illustration
Downtown Matthews Beach 2 mi N ↑
I marked Matthews Beach on a map of Seattle drawn from the neighborhood boundaries the city publishes. Downtown is marked for reference.

At a glance

Area
706 acres
Homes
2,752
Median year built
1957
Average home size
2,345 sq ft Larger than 90% of Seattle neighborhoods
Average lot size
8,402 sq ft Larger than 85% of Seattle neighborhoods

96.2% single-family, 0.2% townhouse, 0.5% condominium, 0.8% duplex to fourplex, 0.3% 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
131 Fewer than 70% of Seattle neighborhoods
Average block length
481 ft Longer than 95% of Seattle neighborhoods
Sidewalk coverage
13.1% (my estimate) Lower than every other Seattle neighborhood
Transit stops within ¼ mile
42 Fewer than 80% of Seattle neighborhoods
Everyday categories within ½ mile
8

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

Parks and recreation

Chinook Passage Natural Area on Thornton Creek, Little Brook Creek Natural Area, Matthews Beach Park, Mock Creek Ravine

Schools in and near this neighborhood

  • John Rogers Elementary School K–5 Seattle School District No. 1
  • Jane Addams Middle School 6–8 Seattle School District No. 1
  • Nathan Hale High School 9–12 Seattle School District No. 1
  • SEATTLE WALDORF SCHOOL
  • SEATTLE WALDORF SCHOOL
  • LAUREL ACADEMY
  • Stephen Decatur Elementary School K–5 Seattle School District No. 1

Restaurants and coffee I found nearby

  • Brown Study Coffee Space Coffee · 0.1 mi away
  • Santorini Pizza & Pasta Italian · 0.1 mi away
  • Magnuson Cafe and Brewery Restaurant · 0.2 mi away Patio
  • The Breakfast Club Breakfast · 0.3 mi away
  • Jalisco Mexican · 0.3 mi away Patio
  • Jose's Taqueria Cafe · 0.3 mi away
  • Gyro on Lake City Cafe · 0.3 mi away
  • Thai One On Thai · 0.3 mi away Patio
  • Senait Restaurant Restaurant · 0.3 mi away
  • 2C Thai Thai · 0.3 mi away

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
$915,400
Median gross rent
$2,470
Owner-occupied
80.3%
Renter-occupied
19.7%

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.

Bordering neighborhoods