As Seattle’s population grows, the city is grappling with a debate over density. Most people agree we need to increase housing capacity and provide more affordable options, but how much density should residential neighborhoods absorb?
Mayor Bruce Harrell is proposing a new growth plan for the city to increase density in certain neighborhoods. One of them — Montlake — was the subject of a recent Seattle Times article. Montlake, the story notes, is among the least-densely populated neighborhoods in Seattle, even though it’s located in the central part of the city.
I thought I’d take the opportunity to look at the latest data on population density in Montlake and other Seattle neighborhoods. I used population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s annual American Community Survey to calculate density. The latest population figures are an average of five years’ worth of surveys taken from 2019 to 2023.
Montlake’s population density is indeed among the lowest in the city. The census tract that covers the neighborhood had a density of around 4,505 people per square mile, which only ranks 164th out of the 177 tracts in Seattle.
To be fair, this census tract is unusual in that it includes two large uninhabited areas, Interlaken Park and part of the Washington Park Arboretum. This adds to the tract’s land area but not its population, lowering its density. If we look at just one section of Montlake that doesn’t include parkland, the density is around 7,770 people per square mile.
But even that is below average for Seattle, which is among the most densely populated big cities in the nation. There are more than 750,000 people crammed into Seattle’s 84 square miles, penciling out to a population density of about 8,989 people per square mile.
Among the nation’s 50 largest cities, Seattle ranks 8th for population density. Over the past 10 years, as Seattle’s population surged, density increased by more than 1,000 people per square mile. In this period, Seattle leapfrogged a bunch of major cities in the population-density rankings, including Los Angeles.
New York is by far the most densely populated big city in the U.S., at around 27,485 people per square mile. Oklahoma City is at the opposite end of the spectrum, with just 1,159 people per square mile.
Of course, some parts of Seattle are much denser than others. There are 33 census tracts in the city that have a population density greater than 25,000 people per square mile.
The most densely populated tract in Seattle is in the University District, with an impressive 122,429 people per square mile. It’s a small area just west of the University of Washington campus, and includes NE Campus Parkway, which is lined with large student dormitories.
There are around 3,400 people packed into this tiny area, which only includes a handful of city blocks. About 95% of people in this census tract live in student housing and the median age here was just 19 years old.
The census tract with the second-highest density is in the northeastern section of Belltown, one of the city’s downtown neighborhoods. Around 5,200 people live in this area, which is only about one-tenth of a square mile, and has a population density of 89,414 per square mile.
As you’d expect, nearly everyone here lives in a multiunit apartment or condo building. This area is close to the Amazon campus, and a very high percentage of the employed residents — around 36% — work in a tech job. This is a more affluent area, with median earnings of around $140,500 for residents who are employed full time. Around half of the people who live here were born outside the U.S.
Capitol Hill is also among the most densely populated parts of Seattle, and the No. 3 tracts lies in the heart of the neighborhood. It includes a large stretch of Broadway, which is dotted with large apartment buildings. The population density in this tract was 63,978 people per square mile.
This area is populated mainly by young adults, with a median age of 31, and 80% of residents are single. There are barely any residents under 18 or age 65 and older.
Among the 25 most densely populated census tracts in King County, only one is outside Seattle. It’s located in the heart of downtown Bellevue, around the Bellevue Public Library, and includes a lot of large apartment complexes. This tract has a density of 40,747 people per square mile.
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