Southeast Magnolia

Seattle's Magnolia district, about 3.55 miles from downtown, in King County.

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

Southeast Magnolia has 2,414 homes, with an average size of 2,250 sq ft, which is larger than 85% of Seattle neighborhoods. In my research the street grid stood out too: I found 210 intersections per square mile, more than 80% of Seattle neighborhoods, and an average block length of 335 ft. Sidewalk coverage is an estimated 81.5%. Lots average 5,560 sq ft, and Bayview Playground is among the parks inside.

Illustration of a residential street of detached single-family houses, built mostly in the 1950s. — Illustration

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

At a glance

Area: 421 acres
Homes: 2,414
Median year built: 1950 Older than 60% of Seattle neighborhoods
Average home size: 2,250 sq ft Larger than 85% of Seattle neighborhoods
Average lot size: 5,560 sq ft
Streets steeper than 8%: 25.6% of street length Hillier than 90% of Seattle neighborhoods Elevation 20–365 ft
In FEMA's 100-year flood zone: None
Within 500 ft of a freeway: None The nearest is 2.7 miles away
New homes permitted: 65 Fewer than 65% of Seattle neighborhoods Since January 2023

Share of residential lots: 86.4% single-family, 6.8% townhouse, 1.4% condominium, 3.3% duplex to fourplex, 1.4% 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: 210 More than 80% of Seattle neighborhoods
Average block length: 335 ft Shorter than 80% of Seattle neighborhoods
Sidewalk coverage: 81.5% (my estimate) Higher than 70% of Seattle neighborhoods
Transit stops within ¼ mile: 67
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

Bayview Playground, Catherine Blaine Jr Hs, Condon Way Centerstrip, Ella Bailey Park, West Magnolia Playfield

Schools in and near this neighborhood

Catharine Blaine K-8 School K–8 Seattle School District No. 1
DISCOVERY MONTESSORI SCHOOL
KALEIDOSCOPE SCHOOL
Magnolia Elementary School K–5 Seattle School District No. 1
OUR LADY OF FATIMA SCHOOL

Food, drink and daily errands

Restaurants: 10
Cafes: 6
Bars and pubs: 2
Grocery: 1
Pharmacies: 1

Restaurants and coffee I found nearby

Ichiro Sushi & Teriyaki Japanese · Inside the neighborhood
Smoking Monkey Pizza Italian · Inside the neighborhood Patio
Pizza Il Villaggio Pizza · Inside the neighborhood
Nikos Gyros Greek · Inside the neighborhood
Mura Asian Eatery Korean · Inside the neighborhood
Yume Sushi Sushi · Inside the neighborhood
Serendipity Cafe Cafe · Inside the neighborhood Patio
Nutty Squirrel Gelato - Magnolia Cafe · Inside the neighborhood
Mondello Ristorante Italian · Inside the neighborhood
Uptown Espresso Coffee · Inside the neighborhood

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: $1,150,500
Median gross rent: $2,589
Owner-occupied: 68.3%
Renter-occupied: 31.7%

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.