Boston/Compare
Beacon Hill vs North End
Beacon Hill and North End are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. North End is the calmer Part I map (95 vs 42). Beacon Hill wins the errand count. Beacon Hill has the lower ACS median ($2,492).
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 | North End |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 42 | 95 |
| Schools | 100 | 57 |
| Walk | 34 | 25 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 92 |
| Vibe | 67 | 54 |
| Median rent | $2,492 | $2,728 |
| Median home | $1,346,103 | $777,320 |
| Population | 8,026 | 9,436 |
| Commute to Downtown | 8 min | 8 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 14 min | 12 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 18 min | 22 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Beacon Hill | North End |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 60% | 78% |
| Median age | 38.2 | 30.7 |
| Median income | $169K | $115K |
| Part I per 1k | 15.6 | 7.0 |
| Groceries / 800m | 14 | 11 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 98 | 93 |
| Parks / 800m | 110 | 86 |
| 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. N End is 27% 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 57. Vibe is 67 vs 54. Beacon Hill is tagged family on this map; North End is not. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick North End if the quieter map matters more than the scene. Safety is 95 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
North End
Hanover Street is the postcard. The alleys are where people actually live. You will hear the tourists. You will also walk to a grocery if you picked the right block.
$2,728 median rent · safety 95 · walk 25
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Beacon Hill or North End?
Beacon Hill is the lower ACS median: $2,492 vs $2,728. About 60% rent in Beacon Hill vs 78% in North End. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Beacon Hill more walkable than North End?
Beacon Hill wins the errand count (walk 34 vs 25). Groceries inside 800 meters: 14 vs 11. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Beacon Hill or North End?
North End is the calmer Part I read (95 vs 42). Combined rate 7.0 vs 15.6 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Beacon Hill or North End?
Beacon Hill leads the school axis (100 vs 57). Nearby rating is 8.2 / 10 vs 7.0 / 10. Median age 38.2 vs 30.7. North End 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, 8 from North End. A wash on this estimate. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning neighborhood that is not Beacon Hill or North End: 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.