Boston/Compare
Brighton vs North End
Brighton and North End are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. North End is the calmer Part I map (95 vs 79). Walk is a wash (26 vs 25). Brighton has the lower ACS median ($2,238).
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 | North End |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 79 | 95 |
| Schools | 50 | 57 |
| Walk | 26 | 25 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 92 |
| Vibe | 23 | 54 |
| Median rent | $2,238 | $2,728 |
| Median home | $689,762 | $777,320 |
| Population | 48,045 | 9,436 |
| Commute to Downtown | 28 min | 8 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 36 min | 12 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 16 min | 22 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Brighton | North End |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 77% | 78% |
| Median age | 29.4 | 30.7 |
| Median income | $94K | $115K |
| Part I per 1k | 10.3 | 7.0 |
| Groceries / 800m | 19 | 11 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 144 | 93 |
| Parks / 800m | 37 | 86 |
| 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. 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 Brighton if the rent gap is the point and you want the quieter, family-leaning read. ACS median rent is $2,238 vs $2,728. Brighton is tagged family on this map; North End is not. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick North End if you want the cafes and the night and the shorter ride to Downtown is the point. Vibe is 54 vs 23. 8 vs 28 minutes to Downtown. Safety is 95 vs 79. 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
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, Brighton or North End?
Brighton is the lower ACS median: $2,238 vs $2,728. About 77% rent in Brighton vs 78% in North End. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Brighton more walkable than North End?
Walk is basically a tie (26 vs 25). Count groceries if you care: 19 in Brighton vs 11 in North End, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, Brighton or North End?
North End is the calmer Part I read (95 vs 79). Combined rate 7.0 vs 10.3 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Brighton or North End?
North End leads the school axis (57 vs 50). Nearby rating is 7.0 / 10 vs 6.8 / 10. Median age 30.7 vs 29.4. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
28 minutes from Brighton to Downtown, 8 from North End. North End is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning neighborhood that is not Brighton or North End: Back Bay. Newbury, the brownstones, the Public Garden. Bay Village is a search term that sits inside the same planning neighborhood. You pay for the postcard and for the visitors who shop it.
Scores are relative among official Boston planning neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.