Boston/Compare
Back Bay vs West Roxbury
Back Bay and West Roxbury are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. West Roxbury is the calmer Part I map (84 vs 0). Back Bay wins the errand count. West Roxbury has the lower ACS median ($1,941).
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 | West Roxbury |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 0 | 84 |
| Schools | 93 | 93 |
| Walk | 26 | 19 |
| Cost fit | 88 | 100 |
| Vibe | 58 | 2 |
| Median rent | $2,853 | $1,941 |
| Median home | $1,568,816 | $749,475 |
| Population | 16,912 | 31,557 |
| Commute to Downtown | 10 min | 34 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 16 min | 38 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 12 min | 28 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Back Bay | West Roxbury |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 68% | 39% |
| Median age | 36.2 | 42.6 |
| Median income | $131K | $125K |
| Part I per 1k | 81.5 | 9.1 |
| Groceries / 800m | 11 | 6 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 95 | 191 |
| Parks / 800m | 78 | 19 |
| 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. W Rox is 10% 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 shorter ride to Downtown is the point. Vibe is 58 vs 2. 10 vs 34 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick West Roxbury if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the rent gap is the point. Safety is 84 vs 0. ACS median rent is $1,941 vs $2,853. West Roxbury 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
West Roxbury
The most house-like official neighborhood in this Boston set. Centre Street, lawns, and a drive to almost every night that is not a pizza. Weight family and safety.
$1,941 median rent · safety 84 · walk 19
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Back Bay or West Roxbury?
West Roxbury is the lower ACS median: $2,853 vs $1,941. About 39% rent in West Roxbury vs 68% in Back Bay. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Back Bay more walkable than West Roxbury?
Back Bay wins the errand count (walk 26 vs 19). Groceries inside 800 meters: 11 vs 6. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Back Bay or West Roxbury?
West Roxbury is the calmer Part I read (84 vs 0). Combined rate 9.1 vs 81.5 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Back Bay or West Roxbury?
Back Bay leads the school axis (93 vs 93). Nearby rating is 8.0 / 10 vs 8.0 / 10. Median age 36.2 vs 42.6. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
10 minutes from Back Bay to Downtown, 34 from West 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 West Roxbury: Fenway. The park, the students, Kenmore, and Longwood as a search that actually sits next door. Game day is a tax. The rest of the week is apartments and hospitals.
Scores are relative among official Boston planning neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.