Boston/Compare
Beacon Hill vs East Boston
Beacon Hill and East Boston are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. East Boston is the calmer Part I map (58 vs 42). East Boston wins the errand count. East Boston has the lower ACS median ($1,918).
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 | East Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 42 | 58 |
| Schools | 100 | 29 |
| Walk | 34 | 65 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 67 | 57 |
| Median rent | $2,492 | $1,918 |
| Median home | $1,346,103 | $664,819 |
| Population | 8,026 | 40,017 |
| Commute to Downtown | 8 min | 18 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 14 min | 16 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 18 min | 32 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Beacon Hill | East Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 60% | 71% |
| Median age | 38.2 | 35.2 |
| Median income | $169K | $86K |
| Part I per 1k | 15.6 | 13.4 |
| Groceries / 800m | 14 | 66 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 98 | 130 |
| Parks / 800m | 110 | 92 |
| 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. Eastie is 11% 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 the school rating nearby is the point and you want the cafes and the night. Schools score 100 vs 29. Vibe is 67 vs 57. 8 vs 18 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick East Boston if you want the errands on foot and the rent gap is the point. Walk is 65 vs 34. ACS median rent is $1,918 vs $2,492. Safety is 58 vs 42. 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
East Boston
Eastie: the airport, the water taxi, and streets that still feel like a neighborhood that was not supposed to get this expensive. Maverick and Orient Heights are the T stops.
$1,918 median rent · safety 58 · walk 65
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Beacon Hill or East Boston?
East Boston is the lower ACS median: $2,492 vs $1,918. About 71% rent in East Boston vs 60% in Beacon Hill. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Beacon Hill more walkable than East Boston?
East Boston wins the errand count (walk 34 vs 65). Groceries inside 800 meters: 14 vs 66. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Beacon Hill or East Boston?
East Boston is the calmer Part I read (58 vs 42). Combined rate 13.4 vs 15.6 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Beacon Hill or East Boston?
Beacon Hill leads the school axis (100 vs 29). Nearby rating is 8.2 / 10 vs 6.2 / 10. Median age 38.2 vs 35.2. East Boston has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
8 minutes from Beacon Hill to Downtown, 18 from East Boston. 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 East Boston: 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.