Boston/Compare
Brighton vs Roslindale
Brighton and Roslindale are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. Roslindale is the calmer Part I map (100 vs 79). Brighton wins the errand count. Roslindale has the lower ACS median ($2,057).
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 | Roslindale |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 79 | 100 |
| Schools | 50 | 64 |
| Walk | 26 | 5 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 23 | 0 |
| Median rent | $2,238 | $2,057 |
| Median home | $689,762 | $680,810 |
| Population | 48,045 | 27,364 |
| Commute to Downtown | 28 min | 30 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 36 min | 32 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 16 min | 24 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Brighton | Roslindale |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 77% | 43% |
| Median age | 29.4 | 39.2 |
| Median income | $94K | $115K |
| Part I per 1k | 10.3 | 6.5 |
| Groceries / 800m | 19 | 3 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 144 | 132 |
| Parks / 800m | 37 | 16 |
| 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. Rozzie is 4% 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 you want the cafes and the night and you want the errands on foot. Vibe is 23 vs 0. Walk is 26 vs 5. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Roslindale if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the school rating nearby is the point. Safety is 100 vs 79. Schools score 64 vs 50. ACS median rent is $2,057 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
Roslindale
Rozzie Square is the village. The Arnold Arboretum is the park you share with JP. More house than South End, less trip than West Roxbury.
$2,057 median rent · safety 100 · walk 5
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Brighton or Roslindale?
Roslindale is the lower ACS median: $2,238 vs $2,057. About 43% rent in Roslindale vs 77% in Brighton. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Brighton more walkable than Roslindale?
Brighton wins the errand count (walk 26 vs 5). Groceries inside 800 meters: 19 vs 3. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Brighton or Roslindale?
Roslindale is the calmer Part I read (100 vs 79). Combined rate 6.5 vs 10.3 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Brighton or Roslindale?
Roslindale leads the school axis (64 vs 50). Nearby rating is 7.2 / 10 vs 6.8 / 10. Median age 39.2 vs 29.4. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
28 minutes from Brighton to Downtown, 30 from Roslindale. Brighton is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning neighborhood that is not Brighton or Roslindale: 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.