Boston/Compare
Back Bay vs East Boston
Back Bay and East Boston are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. East Boston is the calmer Part I map (58 vs 0). East Boston wins the errand count. East Boston has the lower ACS median ($1,918).
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 | Back Bay | East Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 0 | 58 |
| Schools | 93 | 29 |
| Walk | 26 | 65 |
| Cost fit | 88 | 100 |
| Vibe | 58 | 57 |
| Median rent | $2,853 | $1,918 |
| Median home | $1,568,816 | $664,819 |
| Population | 16,912 | 40,017 |
| Commute to Downtown | 10 min | 18 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 16 min | 16 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 12 min | 32 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Back Bay | East Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 68% | 71% |
| Median age | 36.2 | 35.2 |
| Median income | $131K | $86K |
| Part I per 1k | 81.5 | 13.4 |
| Groceries / 800m | 11 | 66 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 95 | 130 |
| Parks / 800m | 78 | 92 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Boston city. Up 65% since 2014. Back Bay is 33% above the 2024 city median. Eastie is 11% 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 Back Bay if the school rating nearby is the point and the shorter ride to Downtown is the point. Schools score 93 vs 29. 10 vs 18 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick East Boston if the quieter map matters more than the scene and you want the errands on foot. Safety is 58 vs 0. Walk is 65 vs 26. ACS median rent is $1,918 vs $2,853. Read both pages before you decide.
Back Bay
Newbury, the brownstones, the Public Garden. Bay Village is a search term that sits inside the same planning neighborhood. You pay for the postcard and for the visitors who shop it.
$2,853 median rent · safety 0 · walk 26
East Boston
Eastie: the airport, the water taxi, and streets that still feel like a neighborhood that was not supposed to get this expensive. Maverick and Orient Heights are the T stops.
$1,918 median rent · safety 58 · walk 65
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Back Bay or East Boston?
East Boston is the lower ACS median: $2,853 vs $1,918. About 71% rent in East Boston vs 68% in Back Bay. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Back Bay more walkable than East Boston?
East Boston wins the errand count (walk 26 vs 65). Groceries inside 800 meters: 11 vs 66. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Back Bay or East Boston?
East Boston is the calmer Part I read (58 vs 0). Combined rate 13.4 vs 81.5 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Back Bay or East Boston?
Back Bay leads the school axis (93 vs 29). Nearby rating is 8.0 / 10 vs 6.2 / 10. Median age 36.2 vs 35.2. East Boston has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
10 minutes from Back Bay to Downtown, 18 from East Boston. Back Bay is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning neighborhood that is not Back Bay or East Boston: Beacon Hill. Gas lamps, brick, and a hill that actually is a hill. Charles Street is the errand. The Common is the lawn. Quieter than Back Bay, tighter than it looks on a map.
Scores are relative among official Boston planning neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.