Boston/Compare
Beacon Hill vs Fenway
Beacon Hill and Fenway are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. Fenway is the calmer Part I map (47 vs 42). Beacon Hill wins the errand count. Fenway has the lower ACS median ($2,241).
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 | Fenway |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 42 | 47 |
| Schools | 100 | 36 |
| Walk | 34 | 19 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 67 | 34 |
| Median rent | $2,492 | $2,241 |
| Median home | $1,346,103 | $727,953 |
| Population | 8,026 | 33,093 |
| Commute to Downtown | 8 min | 14 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 14 min | 20 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 18 min | 8 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Beacon Hill | Fenway |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 60% | 90% |
| Median age | 38.2 | 23.7 |
| Median income | $169K | $62K |
| Part I per 1k | 15.6 | 14.9 |
| Groceries / 800m | 14 | 15 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 98 | 118 |
| Parks / 800m | 110 | 23 |
| 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. Fenway is 4% 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 Beacon Hill if the school rating nearby is the point and you want the cafes and the night. Schools score 100 vs 36. Vibe is 67 vs 34. Walk is 34 vs 19. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Fenway if the rent gap is the point. ACS median rent is $2,241 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
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.
$2,241 median rent · safety 47 · walk 19
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Beacon Hill or Fenway?
Fenway is the lower ACS median: $2,492 vs $2,241. About 90% rent in Fenway vs 60% in Beacon Hill. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Beacon Hill more walkable than Fenway?
Beacon Hill wins the errand count (walk 34 vs 19). Groceries inside 800 meters: 14 vs 15. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Beacon Hill or Fenway?
Fenway is the calmer Part I read (47 vs 42). Combined rate 14.9 vs 15.6 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Beacon Hill or Fenway?
Beacon Hill leads the school axis (100 vs 36). Nearby rating is 8.2 / 10 vs 6.4 / 10. Median age 38.2 vs 23.7. Fenway 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, 14 from Fenway. 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 Fenway: 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.