Boston/Compare
Back Bay vs North End
Back Bay and North End are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. North End is the calmer Part I map (95 vs 0). Walk is a wash (26 vs 25). North End has the lower ACS median ($2,728).
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 | North End |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 0 | 95 |
| Schools | 93 | 57 |
| Walk | 26 | 25 |
| Cost fit | 88 | 92 |
| Vibe | 58 | 54 |
| Median rent | $2,853 | $2,728 |
| Median home | $1,568,816 | $777,320 |
| Population | 16,912 | 9,436 |
| Commute to Downtown | 10 min | 8 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 16 min | 12 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 12 min | 22 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Back Bay | North End |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 68% | 78% |
| Median age | 36.2 | 30.7 |
| Median income | $131K | $115K |
| Part I per 1k | 81.5 | 7.0 |
| Groceries / 800m | 11 | 11 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 95 | 93 |
| Parks / 800m | 78 | 86 |
| 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. N End is 27% above 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. Schools score 93 vs 57. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick North End if the quieter map matters more than the scene and you want the cafes and the night. Safety is 95 vs 0. Vibe is 54 vs 58. ACS median rent is $2,728 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
North End
Hanover Street is the postcard. The alleys are where people actually live. You will hear the tourists. You will also walk to a grocery if you picked the right block.
$2,728 median rent · safety 95 · walk 25
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Back Bay or North End?
North End is the lower ACS median: $2,853 vs $2,728. About 78% rent in North End vs 68% in Back Bay. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Back Bay more walkable than North End?
Walk is basically a tie (26 vs 25). Count groceries if you care: 11 in Back Bay vs 11 in North End, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, Back Bay or North End?
North End is the calmer Part I read (95 vs 0). Combined rate 7.0 vs 81.5 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Back Bay or North End?
Back Bay leads the school axis (93 vs 57). Nearby rating is 8.0 / 10 vs 7.0 / 10. Median age 36.2 vs 30.7. North End 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, 8 from North End. North End is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning neighborhood that is not Back Bay or North End: 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.