Boston/Compare
Beacon Hill vs Charlestown
Beacon Hill and Charlestown are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. Charlestown is the calmer Part I map (89 vs 42). Beacon Hill wins the errand count. Charlestown has the lower ACS median ($1,943).
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 | Beacon Hill | Charlestown |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 42 | 89 |
| Schools | 100 | 71 |
| Walk | 34 | 4 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 67 | 16 |
| Median rent | $2,492 | $1,943 |
| Median home | $1,346,103 | $915,949 |
| Population | 8,026 | 20,032 |
| Commute to Downtown | 8 min | 14 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 14 min | 18 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 18 min | 28 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Beacon Hill | Charlestown |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 60% | 50% |
| Median age | 38.2 | 36.8 |
| Median income | $169K | $157K |
| Part I per 1k | 15.6 | 8.7 |
| Groceries / 800m | 14 | 5 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 98 | 78 |
| Parks / 800m | 110 | 52 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Boston city. Up 65% since 2014. Beacon is 16% above the 2024 city median. Charlestown 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 Beacon Hill if you want the cafes and the night and you want the errands on foot. Vibe is 67 vs 16. Walk is 34 vs 4. Schools score 100 vs 71. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Charlestown if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the rent gap is the point. Safety is 89 vs 42. ACS median rent is $1,943 vs $2,492. Read both pages before you decide.
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.
$2,492 median rent · safety 42 · walk 34
Charlestown
The Navy Yard, the monument, and a peninsula that still feels slightly separate. The bridge is the commute. Family streets sit two blocks off the tourist path.
$1,943 median rent · safety 89 · walk 4
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Beacon Hill or Charlestown?
Charlestown is the lower ACS median: $2,492 vs $1,943. About 50% rent in Charlestown vs 60% in Beacon Hill. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Beacon Hill more walkable than Charlestown?
Beacon Hill wins the errand count (walk 34 vs 4). Groceries inside 800 meters: 14 vs 5. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Beacon Hill or Charlestown?
Charlestown is the calmer Part I read (89 vs 42). Combined rate 8.7 vs 15.6 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Beacon Hill or Charlestown?
Beacon Hill leads the school axis (100 vs 71). Nearby rating is 8.2 / 10 vs 7.4 / 10. Median age 38.2 vs 36.8. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
8 minutes from Beacon Hill to Downtown, 14 from Charlestown. Beacon Hill is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning neighborhood that is not Beacon Hill or Charlestown: West End. MGH, the Garden, and towers that replaced a neighborhood. New rental, high median, and a walk to the river. You live here for the job and the T, not a main street.
Scores are relative among official Boston planning neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.