Boston/Compare
Charlestown vs Fenway
Charlestown and Fenway are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. Charlestown is the calmer Part I map (89 vs 47). Fenway wins the errand count. Charlestown has the lower ACS median ($1,943).
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 | Charlestown | Fenway |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 89 | 47 |
| Schools | 71 | 36 |
| Walk | 4 | 19 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 16 | 34 |
| Median rent | $1,943 | $2,241 |
| Median home | $915,949 | $727,953 |
| Population | 20,032 | 33,093 |
| Commute to Downtown | 14 min | 14 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 18 min | 20 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 28 min | 8 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Charlestown | Fenway |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 50% | 90% |
| Median age | 36.8 | 23.7 |
| Median income | $157K | $62K |
| Part I per 1k | 8.7 | 14.9 |
| Groceries / 800m | 5 | 15 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 78 | 118 |
| Parks / 800m | 52 | 23 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Boston city. Up 65% since 2014. Charlestown is 10% below the 2024 city median. Fenway is 4% 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 Charlestown if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the school rating nearby is the point. Safety is 89 vs 47. Schools score 71 vs 36. ACS median rent is $1,943 vs $2,241. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Fenway if you want the cafes and the night and you want the errands on foot. Vibe is 34 vs 16. Walk is 19 vs 4. Read both pages before you decide.
Charlestown
The Navy Yard, the monument, and a peninsula that still feels slightly separate. The bridge is the commute. Family streets sit two blocks off the tourist path.
$1,943 median rent · safety 89 · walk 4
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.
$2,241 median rent · safety 47 · walk 19
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Charlestown or Fenway?
Charlestown is the lower ACS median: $1,943 vs $2,241. About 50% rent in Charlestown vs 90% in Fenway. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Charlestown more walkable than Fenway?
Fenway wins the errand count (walk 4 vs 19). Groceries inside 800 meters: 5 vs 15. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Charlestown or Fenway?
Charlestown is the calmer Part I read (89 vs 47). Combined rate 8.7 vs 14.9 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Charlestown or Fenway?
Charlestown leads the school axis (71 vs 36). Nearby rating is 7.4 / 10 vs 6.4 / 10. Median age 36.8 vs 23.7. Fenway has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
14 minutes from Charlestown to Downtown, 14 from Fenway. A wash on this estimate. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning neighborhood that is not Charlestown or Fenway: West End. MGH, the Garden, and towers that replaced a neighborhood. New rental, high median, and a walk to the river. You live here for the job and the T, not a main street.
Scores are relative among official Boston planning neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.