University Heights

Seattle's University District, about 4.28 miles from downtown, in King County.

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

In my records, University Heights has an average lot of 4,173 sq ft, smaller than 85% of Seattle neighborhoods. The street grid is dense, with 231 intersections per square mile (more than 90% of Seattle neighborhoods) and blocks averaging 332 ft. The median home was built in 1920, older than 95% of Seattle neighborhoods. I also counted 72 transit stops within a quarter mile, and Ravenna Boulevard is one of the parks inside the neighborhood.

Illustration of a mix of detached houses, duplexes and small apartment buildings, built mostly in the 1920s.
Illustration
Downtown University Heights 2 mi N ↑
I marked University Heights on a map of Seattle drawn from the neighborhood boundaries the city publishes. Downtown is marked for reference.

At a glance

Area
236 acres
Homes
3,546
Median year built
1920 Older than 95% of Seattle neighborhoods
Average home size
1,278 sq ft Smaller than 75% of Seattle neighborhoods
Average lot size
4,173 sq ft Smaller than 85% of Seattle neighborhoods
Streets steeper than 8%
10.0% of street length Flatter than 60% of Seattle neighborhoods Elevation 92–269 ft
In FEMA's 100-year flood zone
None
Within 500 ft of a freeway
12.3% of residential lots
New homes permitted
28 Fewer than 85% of Seattle neighborhoods Since January 2023

Share of residential lots: 65.6% single-family, 10.7% townhouse, 0.7% condominium, 11.6% duplex to fourplex, 7.4% 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
231 More than 90% of Seattle neighborhoods
Average block length
332 ft Shorter than 85% of Seattle neighborhoods
Sidewalk coverage
77.3% (my estimate) Higher than 60% of Seattle neighborhoods
Transit stops within ¼ mile
72
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

17th Avenue Ne Centerstrip, Ravenna Boulevard, University Heights

Schools in and near this neighborhood

  • ACADEMY FOR PRECISION LEARNING
  • ACADEMY FOR PRECISION LEARNING
  • ACADEMY FOR PRECISION LEARNING, UPPER SCHOOL
  • McDonald International School K–5 Seattle School District No. 1
  • HAMPTON TUTORS LLC
  • Roosevelt High School 9–12 Seattle School District No. 1
  • Green Lake Elementary School PK–5 Seattle School District No. 1
  • THE MERIDIAN SCHOOL
  • SEATTLE JEWISH COMMUNITY SCHOOL

Food, drink and daily errands

Restaurants
17
Cafes
6
Bars and pubs
3
Grocery
0
Pharmacies
0

Restaurants and coffee I found nearby

  • Xi'an Noodles Chinese · Inside the neighborhood Patio
  • Persepolis Grill Mediterranean · Inside the neighborhood
  • CM Chicken Korean · Inside the neighborhood
  • Shawarma King Middle Eastern · Inside the neighborhood
  • A-Pizza Mart Pizza · Inside the neighborhood
  • Araya's Place Thai · Inside the neighborhood
  • Herkimer Coffee - Ravenna Coffee · Inside the neighborhood Patio
  • Village Sushi Japanese · Inside the neighborhood
  • Late Night Kitchen Korean · Inside the neighborhood Patio
  • Ku Sushi and Izakaya Japanese · 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
$990,600
Median gross rent
$1,640
Owner-occupied
5.1%
Renter-occupied
94.9%

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