Boston/Compare
Back Bay vs Roxbury
Back Bay and Roxbury are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. Roxbury is the calmer Part I map (16 vs 0). Roxbury wins the errand count. Roxbury has the lower ACS median ($1,278).
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 | Roxbury |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 0 | 16 |
| Schools | 93 | 4 |
| Walk | 26 | 50 |
| Cost fit | 88 | 100 |
| Vibe | 58 | 45 |
| Median rent | $2,853 | $1,278 |
| Median home | $1,568,816 | $690,499 |
| Population | 16,912 | 50,658 |
| Commute to Downtown | 10 min | 16 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 16 min | 18 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 12 min | 12 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Back Bay | Roxbury |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 68% | 76% |
| Median age | 36.2 | 35 |
| Median income | $131K | $52K |
| Part I per 1k | 81.5 | 26.3 |
| Groceries / 800m | 11 | 9 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 95 | 221 |
| Parks / 800m | 78 | 134 |
| 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. Roxbury is 40% 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 you want the cafes and the night. Schools score 93 vs 4. Vibe is 58 vs 45. 10 vs 16 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Roxbury if the rent gap is the point and you want the errands on foot. ACS median rent is $1,278 vs $2,853. Walk is 50 vs 26. Safety is 16 vs 0. 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
Roxbury
Dudley, Nubian Square, and a lot of city history in one official line. New infill sits next to older streets. Weight the numbers honestly; do not skip the page.
$1,278 median rent · safety 16 · walk 50
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Back Bay or Roxbury?
Roxbury is the lower ACS median: $2,853 vs $1,278. About 76% rent in Roxbury vs 68% in Back Bay. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Back Bay more walkable than Roxbury?
Roxbury wins the errand count (walk 26 vs 50). Groceries inside 800 meters: 11 vs 9. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Back Bay or Roxbury?
Roxbury is the calmer Part I read (16 vs 0). Combined rate 26.3 vs 81.5 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Back Bay or Roxbury?
Back Bay leads the school axis (93 vs 4). Nearby rating is 8.0 / 10 vs 5.5 / 10. Median age 36.2 vs 35. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
10 minutes from Back Bay to Downtown, 16 from Roxbury. 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 Roxbury: 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.