Boston/Compare
Brighton vs Jamaica Plain
Brighton and Jamaica Plain are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. Brighton is the calmer Part I map (79 vs 37). Walk is a wash (26 vs 23). Jamaica Plain has the lower ACS median ($2,128).
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 | Brighton | Jamaica Plain |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 79 | 37 |
| Schools | 50 | 75 |
| Walk | 26 | 23 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 23 | 27 |
| Median rent | $2,238 | $2,128 |
| Median home | $689,762 | $843,190 |
| Population | 48,045 | 44,235 |
| Commute to Downtown | 28 min | 22 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 36 min | 26 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 16 min | 14 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Brighton | Jamaica Plain |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 77% | 56% |
| Median age | 29.4 | 36.4 |
| Median income | $94K | $134K |
| Part I per 1k | 10.3 | 16.4 |
| Groceries / 800m | 19 | 18 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 144 | 119 |
| Parks / 800m | 37 | 60 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Boston city. Up 65% since 2014. Brighton is 4% above the 2024 city median. JP is 1% 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 Brighton if the quieter map matters more than the scene. Safety is 79 vs 37. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Jamaica Plain if the school rating nearby is the point and the shorter ride to Downtown is the point. Schools score 75 vs 50. 22 vs 28 minutes to Downtown. ACS median rent is $2,128 vs $2,238. Read both pages before you decide.
Brighton
The western end of the same student river as Allston, with more two-families. Cleveland Circle and Oak Square are the searches. You will ride the B or C more than you walk downtown.
$2,238 median rent · safety 79 · walk 26
Jamaica Plain
JP: the Pond, Centre Street, and the first stop for people who want a porch without leaving the city line. The Southwest Corridor is the spine.
$2,128 median rent · safety 37 · walk 23
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Brighton or Jamaica Plain?
Jamaica Plain is the lower ACS median: $2,238 vs $2,128. About 56% rent in Jamaica Plain vs 77% in Brighton. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Brighton more walkable than Jamaica Plain?
Walk is basically a tie (26 vs 23). Count groceries if you care: 19 in Brighton vs 18 in Jamaica Plain, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, Brighton or Jamaica Plain?
Brighton is the calmer Part I read (79 vs 37). Combined rate 10.3 vs 16.4 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Brighton or Jamaica Plain?
Jamaica Plain leads the school axis (75 vs 50). Nearby rating is 7.5 / 10 vs 6.8 / 10. Median age 36.4 vs 29.4. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
28 minutes from Brighton to Downtown, 22 from Jamaica Plain. Jamaica Plain is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning neighborhood that is not Brighton or Jamaica Plain: 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.