Boston/Compare
Allston vs Jamaica Plain
Allston and Jamaica Plain are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. Allston is the calmer Part I map (74 vs 37). Jamaica Plain wins the errand count. Jamaica Plain has the lower ACS median ($2,128).
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 | Jamaica Plain |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 74 | 37 |
| Schools | 29 | 75 |
| Walk | 16 | 23 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 29 | 27 |
| Median rent | $2,471 | $2,128 |
| Median home | $678,174 | $843,190 |
| Population | 21,650 | 44,235 |
| Commute to Downtown | 24 min | 22 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 32 min | 26 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 16 min | 14 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Allston | Jamaica Plain |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 89% | 56% |
| Median age | 27 | 36.4 |
| Median income | $78K | $134K |
| Part I per 1k | 10.4 | 16.4 |
| Groceries / 800m | 28 | 18 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 71 | 119 |
| Parks / 800m | 27 | 60 |
| 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. JP is 1% 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 the quieter map matters more than the scene. Safety is 74 vs 37. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Jamaica Plain if the school rating nearby is the point and the rent gap is the point. Schools score 75 vs 29. ACS median rent is $2,128 vs $2,471. Jamaica Plain is tagged family on this map; Allston is not. 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
Jamaica Plain
JP: the Pond, Centre Street, and the first stop for people who want a porch without leaving the city line. The Southwest Corridor is the spine.
$2,128 median rent · safety 37 · walk 23
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Allston or Jamaica Plain?
Jamaica Plain is the lower ACS median: $2,471 vs $2,128. About 56% rent in Jamaica Plain vs 89% in Allston. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Allston more walkable than Jamaica Plain?
Jamaica Plain wins the errand count (walk 16 vs 23). Groceries inside 800 meters: 28 vs 18. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Allston or Jamaica Plain?
Allston is the calmer Part I read (74 vs 37). Combined rate 10.4 vs 16.4 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Allston or Jamaica Plain?
Jamaica Plain leads the school axis (75 vs 29). Nearby rating is 7.5 / 10 vs 6.2 / 10. Median age 36.4 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, 22 from Jamaica Plain. Jamaica Plain is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning neighborhood that is not Allston or Jamaica Plain: 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.