Boston/Compare
Allston vs Charlestown
Allston and Charlestown are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. Charlestown is the calmer Part I map (89 vs 74). Allston wins the errand count. Charlestown has the lower ACS median ($1,943).
Data vintage. ACS 2024 5-year · BPD Oct 2025 – Sep 2026 · OSM Sep 2026 · updated Sep 2026
Scores
Fit axes among official Boston planning neighborhoods.
| Axis | Allston | Charlestown |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 74 | 89 |
| Schools | 29 | 71 |
| Walk | 16 | 4 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 29 | 16 |
| Median rent | $2,471 | $1,943 |
| Median home | $678,174 | $915,949 |
| Population | 21,650 | 20,032 |
| Commute to Downtown | 24 min | 14 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 32 min | 18 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 16 min | 28 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Allston | Charlestown |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 89% | 50% |
| Median age | 27 | 36.8 |
| Median income | $78K | $157K |
| Part I per 1k | 10.4 | 8.7 |
| Groceries / 800m | 28 | 5 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 71 | 78 |
| Parks / 800m | 27 | 52 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Boston city. Up 65% since 2014. Allston is 15% above the 2024 city median. Charlestown is 10% below the 2024 city median.
Overlapping 5-year ACS windows (B25064), not asking rent. Census does not publish a rent series for each official neighborhood, so the line is the city place. Dashed marks are each area’s ACS 2024 median.
Which to pick
The same numbers as the table, in sentences. Nobody wins the city.
Pick Allston if you want the cafes and the night and you want the errands on foot. Vibe is 29 vs 16. Walk is 16 vs 4. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Charlestown if the school rating nearby is the point and the rent gap is the point. Schools score 71 vs 29. ACS median rent is $1,943 vs $2,471. Safety is 89 vs 74. Read both pages before you decide.
Allston
Harvard Ave and Brighton Ave are the night. Students, late buses, and a rent that still undercuts Back Bay. Brookline is the next city over, not this official polygon.
$2,471 median rent · safety 74 · walk 16
Charlestown
The Navy Yard, the monument, and a peninsula that still feels slightly separate. The bridge is the commute. Family streets sit two blocks off the tourist path.
$1,943 median rent · safety 89 · walk 4
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Allston or Charlestown?
Charlestown is the lower ACS median: $2,471 vs $1,943. About 50% rent in Charlestown vs 89% in Allston. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Allston more walkable than Charlestown?
Allston wins the errand count (walk 16 vs 4). Groceries inside 800 meters: 28 vs 5. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Allston or Charlestown?
Charlestown is the calmer Part I read (89 vs 74). Combined rate 8.7 vs 10.4 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Allston or Charlestown?
Charlestown leads the school axis (71 vs 29). Nearby rating is 7.4 / 10 vs 6.2 / 10. Median age 36.8 vs 27. Allston has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
24 minutes from Allston to Downtown, 14 from Charlestown. Charlestown is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning neighborhood that is not Allston or Charlestown: Fenway. The park, the students, Kenmore, and Longwood as a search that actually sits next door. Game day is a tax. The rest of the week is apartments and hospitals.
Scores are relative among official Boston planning neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.