Madrona Real Estate Agent

Madrona market snapshot

Median Sale Price$1,150,000± 0.0% YoY

Price / Sq Ft$604▼ 1.0% YoY

Median Days on Market14▲ 16.7% YoY

Sale-to-List100.0%± 0.0% YoY

Over the trailing twelve months, the median Madrona home sold for about $1,150,000 — roughly flat year over year. Homes here typically went under contract in about 14 days at roughly 100.0% of list price (around $604/sq ft), reflecting a market easing from its peak toward balance. These rolling 12-month figures (NWMLS, June 2026) cover the broader market area around Madrona rather than Madrona on its own, so for any specific home it is worth comparing recent sales on that block.

About Madrona

Madrona is a mostly residential neighborhood in east Seattle, set on a hillside that slopes down to Lake Washington. It is bounded on the east by Lake Washington, on the south by E. Cherry Street (beyond which is Leschi), on the west by Martin Luther King Jr. Way (beyond which is the Central District), and on the north by E. Howell Street (beyond which is Denny-Blaine).

The neighborhood takes its name from the madrona (Pacific madrone, genus Arbutus) tree common to the area; John Ayer, who donated the land for Madrona Park, chose the name. Platted by real estate investors in the late 1880s, Madrona grew up around the Union Trunk Line, an early cable-car and streetcar route that ran from the top of the hill near 34th Avenue and Union Street down to the park and beach. The neighborhood's longtime motto, "The Peaceable Kingdom," reflects its historically mixed heritage.

Housing & homes

Madrona's housing reflects its early-1900s streetcar-era origins layered with later-20th-century and contemporary construction. You will find single-family houses across a range of eras and styles, from Victorian-era and early Craftsman homes to mid-century and modern infill, with some homes positioned on the hillside to take in territorial and lake outlooks.

The neighborhood is predominantly single-family in character.

Local conditions to know

Madrona sits on a hillside that descends toward Lake Washington, and parts of the neighborhood fall within Seattle's mapped Environmentally Critical Areas for steep slopes and landslide risk. Deep-seated landsliding has occurred here historically, including slides that damaged homes in the early 1970s. If you are buying or building on or below a slope, the City may require a geotechnical assessment and specific stabilization measures, so it is worth confirming a property's ECA status and any drainage or grading history early.

The eastern edge of the neighborhood is Lake Washington shoreline, which carries its own shoreline and setback regulations. Given the terrain, reviewing the City's GIS ECA maps and, for waterfront or view lots, a survey and soils report is a sensible step before you commit.

Getting around & local texture

Madrona's small commercial district runs along 34th Avenue near E. Union Street, a compact stretch of shops, cafes, and restaurants. Madrona Park stretches along the Lake Washington shoreline off Lake Washington Boulevard, a route within Seattle's Olmsted-designed park and boulevard system; the park offers a wooded hillside, a swimming beach with summer lifeguards, and picnic areas, and its former bathhouse now serves as the Madrona Dance Studio. The Madrona-Sally Goldmark branch of the Seattle Public Library, housed in a 1919 former fire station near 34th and Union, anchors the neighborhood, and Madrona holds several designated Seattle landmarks, including the 1892 Charles R. Bussell Residence and Epiphany Parish Episcopal Church.

For transit, King County Metro bus service runs through the neighborhood and along its arterials. Sound Transit's 2 Line light rail opened its Judkins Park station, southwest of Madrona in the Central District along Interstate 90, on March 28, 2026, adding a rail option within reach of the area. Madrona lies within the Seattle Public Schools district, and the neighborhood is home to Madrona Elementary; because attendance-area boundaries are set by address, confirm a specific home's assigned school with the district's address lookup.

What buyers & sellers weigh in Madrona

Confirm whether a property lies in a mapped steep-slope or landslide Environmentally Critical Area, and review any grading, drainage, or geotechnical history.
For hillside or view lots, budget time for a survey and soils/geotechnical report before removing contingencies.
Lake Washington shoreline parcels are subject to shoreline and setback rules; verify what applies before planning improvements.
The 34th Avenue and Union business district is small and walkable; proximity to it varies noticeably block to block on the hill.
Verify a specific address's assigned Seattle Public Schools attendance area through the district's lookup, since boundaries change.
Consider access and grade when evaluating parking, driveways, and entries on steeper lots.

What makes Madrona distinct

A hillside setting with direct frontage on Lake Washington and access to Madrona Park's beach and Lake Washington Boulevard.
A very compact, walkable business district along 34th Avenue and Union, distinct from larger commercial cores nearby.
A concentration of designated Seattle landmarks and early streetcar-era architecture within a small neighborhood.
Streetcar-era street grid and history tied to the former Union Trunk Line cable and streetcar route.
Position between the Central District, Leschi, and Denny-Blaine.

Services in Madrona

All services

Madrona real estate FAQ

Where exactly is Madrona, and what neighborhoods border it?

Madrona is in east Seattle along Lake Washington. It is bordered by Lake Washington on the east, E. Cherry Street and Leschi on the south, Martin Luther King Jr. Way and the Central District on the west, and E. Howell Street and Denny-Blaine on the north.

What kinds of homes are in Madrona?

The neighborhood is predominantly single-family, with homes spanning the early streetcar era through mid-century and contemporary construction. Some hillside lots offer territorial and lake outlooks.

Are there slope or landslide considerations in Madrona?

Yes. Madrona is a hillside neighborhood, and parts of it fall within Seattle's mapped Environmentally Critical Areas for steep slopes and landslide risk, with deep-seated landsliding recorded historically. Building or major work on affected lots can require a geotechnical assessment, so it is worth checking a property's ECA status early.

Which school district and elementary serve Madrona?

Madrona is within the Seattle Public Schools district and is home to Madrona Elementary. Because attendance areas are assigned by address and can change, confirm a specific home's assigned school using the district's official address lookup.