Boston/Compare
Back Bay vs South End
Back Bay and South End are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. South End is the calmer Part I map (11 vs 0). Back Bay wins the errand count. South End has the lower ACS median ($2,274).
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 | South End |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 0 | 11 |
| Schools | 93 | 71 |
| Walk | 26 | 6 |
| Cost fit | 88 | 100 |
| Vibe | 58 | 25 |
| Median rent | $2,853 | $2,274 |
| Median home | $1,568,816 | $1,182,045 |
| Population | 16,912 | 29,435 |
| Commute to Downtown | 10 min | 10 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 16 min | 14 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 | South End |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 68% | 63% |
| Median age | 36.2 | 38.9 |
| Median income | $131K | $129K |
| Part I per 1k | 81.5 | 30.1 |
| Groceries / 800m | 11 | 7 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 95 | 74 |
| Parks / 800m | 78 | 52 |
| 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. S End is 6% 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 you want the cafes and the night and the school rating nearby is the point. Vibe is 58 vs 25. Schools score 93 vs 71. Walk is 26 vs 6. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick South End if the rent gap is the point and the quieter map matters more than the scene. ACS median rent is $2,274 vs $2,853. Safety is 11 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
South End
SoWa, brownstones, and a grid that walks. Tremont and Washington are the strips. Quieter than Back Bay’s shopping, denser than JP.
$2,274 median rent · safety 11 · walk 6
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Back Bay or South End?
South End is the lower ACS median: $2,853 vs $2,274. About 63% rent in South End vs 68% in Back Bay. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Back Bay more walkable than South End?
Back Bay wins the errand count (walk 26 vs 6). Groceries inside 800 meters: 11 vs 7. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Back Bay or South End?
South End is the calmer Part I read (11 vs 0). Combined rate 30.1 vs 81.5 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Back Bay or South End?
Back Bay leads the school axis (93 vs 71). Nearby rating is 8.0 / 10 vs 7.4 / 10. Median age 36.2 vs 38.9. South 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, 10 from South End. A wash on this estimate. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning neighborhood that is not Back Bay or South 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.