Boston/Compare
Brighton vs Roxbury
Brighton and Roxbury are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. Brighton is the calmer Part I map (79 vs 16). Roxbury wins the errand count. Roxbury has the lower ACS median ($1,278).
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 | Roxbury |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 79 | 16 |
| Schools | 50 | 4 |
| Walk | 26 | 50 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 23 | 45 |
| Median rent | $2,238 | $1,278 |
| Median home | $689,762 | $690,499 |
| Population | 48,045 | 50,658 |
| Commute to Downtown | 28 min | 16 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 36 min | 18 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 16 min | 12 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Brighton | Roxbury |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 77% | 76% |
| Median age | 29.4 | 35 |
| Median income | $94K | $52K |
| Part I per 1k | 10.3 | 26.3 |
| Groceries / 800m | 19 | 9 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 144 | 221 |
| Parks / 800m | 37 | 134 |
| 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. Roxbury is 40% 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 and the school rating nearby is the point. Safety is 79 vs 16. Schools score 50 vs 4. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Roxbury if the rent gap is the point and you want the errands on foot. ACS median rent is $1,278 vs $2,238. Walk is 50 vs 26. Vibe is 45 vs 23. 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
Roxbury
Dudley, Nubian Square, and a lot of city history in one official line. New infill sits next to older streets. Weight the numbers honestly; do not skip the page.
$1,278 median rent · safety 16 · walk 50
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Brighton or Roxbury?
Roxbury is the lower ACS median: $2,238 vs $1,278. About 76% rent in Roxbury vs 77% in Brighton. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Brighton more walkable than Roxbury?
Roxbury wins the errand count (walk 26 vs 50). Groceries inside 800 meters: 19 vs 9. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Brighton or Roxbury?
Brighton is the calmer Part I read (79 vs 16). Combined rate 10.3 vs 26.3 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Brighton or Roxbury?
Brighton leads the school axis (50 vs 4). Nearby rating is 6.8 / 10 vs 5.5 / 10. Median age 29.4 vs 35. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
28 minutes from Brighton to Downtown, 16 from Roxbury. Roxbury is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning neighborhood that is not Brighton or 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.