Boston/Compare
Beacon Hill vs West Roxbury
Beacon Hill and West Roxbury are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. West Roxbury is the calmer Part I map (84 vs 42). Beacon Hill 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 | Beacon Hill | West Roxbury |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 42 | 84 |
| Schools | 100 | 93 |
| Walk | 34 | 19 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 67 | 2 |
| Median rent | $2,492 | $1,941 |
| Median home | $1,346,103 | $749,475 |
| Population | 8,026 | 31,557 |
| Commute to Downtown | 8 min | 34 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 14 min | 38 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 | West Roxbury |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 60% | 39% |
| Median age | 38.2 | 42.6 |
| Median income | $169K | $125K |
| Part I per 1k | 15.6 | 9.1 |
| Groceries / 800m | 14 | 6 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 98 | 191 |
| Parks / 800m | 110 | 19 |
| 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. 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 Beacon Hill if you want the cafes and the night and the shorter ride to Downtown is the point. Vibe is 67 vs 2. 8 vs 34 minutes to Downtown. Walk is 34 vs 19. 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 42. ACS median rent is $1,941 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
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, Beacon Hill or West Roxbury?
West Roxbury is the lower ACS median: $2,492 vs $1,941. About 39% rent in West Roxbury vs 60% in Beacon Hill. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Beacon Hill more walkable than West Roxbury?
Beacon Hill wins the errand count (walk 34 vs 19). Groceries inside 800 meters: 14 vs 6. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Beacon Hill or West Roxbury?
West Roxbury is the calmer Part I read (84 vs 42). Combined rate 9.1 vs 15.6 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Beacon Hill or West Roxbury?
Beacon Hill leads the school axis (100 vs 93). Nearby rating is 8.2 / 10 vs 8.0 / 10. Median age 38.2 vs 42.6. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
8 minutes from Beacon Hill to Downtown, 34 from West Roxbury. 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 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.