Boston/Compare
Charlestown vs West End
Charlestown and West End are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. Charlestown is the calmer Part I map (89 vs 32). West End 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 | West End |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 89 | 32 |
| Schools | 71 | 32 |
| Walk | 4 | 22 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 75 |
| Vibe | 16 | 38 |
| Median rent | $1,943 | $3,346 |
| Median home | $915,949 | $824,636 |
| Population | 20,032 | 8,249 |
| Commute to Downtown | 14 min | 8 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 18 min | 14 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 28 min | 18 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Charlestown | West End |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 50% | 84% |
| Median age | 36.8 | 34.1 |
| Median income | $157K | $143K |
| Part I per 1k | 8.7 | 19.0 |
| Groceries / 800m | 5 | 13 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 78 | 100 |
| Parks / 800m | 52 | 73 |
| 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. W End is 56% 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 rent gap is the point. Safety is 89 vs 32. ACS median rent is $1,943 vs $3,346. Schools score 71 vs 32. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick West End if you want the cafes and the night and you want the errands on foot. Vibe is 38 vs 16. Walk is 22 vs 4. 8 vs 14 minutes to Downtown. 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
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.
$3,346 median rent · safety 32 · walk 22
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Charlestown or West End?
Charlestown is the lower ACS median: $1,943 vs $3,346. About 50% rent in Charlestown vs 84% in West End. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Charlestown more walkable than West End?
West End wins the errand count (walk 4 vs 22). Groceries inside 800 meters: 5 vs 13. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Charlestown or West End?
Charlestown is the calmer Part I read (89 vs 32). Combined rate 8.7 vs 19.0 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Charlestown or West End?
Charlestown leads the school axis (71 vs 32). Nearby rating is 7.4 / 10 vs 6.3 / 10. Median age 36.8 vs 34.1. West End has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
14 minutes from Charlestown to Downtown, 8 from West End. West End is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning neighborhood that is not Charlestown or West End: 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.
Scores are relative among official Boston planning neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.