Boston/Compare
Back Bay vs Jamaica Plain
Back Bay and Jamaica Plain are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. Jamaica Plain is the calmer Part I map (37 vs 0). Walk is a wash (26 vs 23). 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 | Back Bay | Jamaica Plain |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 0 | 37 |
| Schools | 93 | 75 |
| Walk | 26 | 23 |
| Cost fit | 88 | 100 |
| Vibe | 58 | 27 |
| Median rent | $2,853 | $2,128 |
| Median home | $1,568,816 | $843,190 |
| Population | 16,912 | 44,235 |
| Commute to Downtown | 10 min | 22 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 16 min | 26 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 12 min | 14 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Back Bay | Jamaica Plain |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 68% | 56% |
| Median age | 36.2 | 36.4 |
| Median income | $131K | $134K |
| Part I per 1k | 81.5 | 16.4 |
| Groceries / 800m | 11 | 18 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 95 | 119 |
| Parks / 800m | 78 | 60 |
| 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. 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 Back Bay if you want the cafes and the night and the school rating nearby is the point. Vibe is 58 vs 27. Schools score 93 vs 75. 10 vs 22 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Jamaica Plain if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the rent gap is the point. Safety is 37 vs 0. ACS median rent is $2,128 vs $2,853. Jamaica Plain is tagged family on this map; Back Bay is not. 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
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, Back Bay or Jamaica Plain?
Jamaica Plain is the lower ACS median: $2,853 vs $2,128. About 56% rent in Jamaica Plain vs 68% in Back Bay. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Back Bay more walkable than Jamaica Plain?
Walk is basically a tie (26 vs 23). Count groceries if you care: 11 in Back Bay vs 18 in Jamaica Plain, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, Back Bay or Jamaica Plain?
Jamaica Plain is the calmer Part I read (37 vs 0). Combined rate 16.4 vs 81.5 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Back Bay or Jamaica Plain?
Back Bay leads the school axis (93 vs 75). Nearby rating is 8.0 / 10 vs 7.5 / 10. Median age 36.2 vs 36.4. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
10 minutes from Back Bay to Downtown, 22 from Jamaica Plain. 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 Jamaica Plain: South End. SoWa, brownstones, and a grid that walks. Tremont and Washington are the strips. Quieter than Back Bay’s shopping, denser than JP.
Scores are relative among official Boston planning neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.