Boston/Compare
East Boston vs West End
East Boston and West End are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. East Boston is the calmer Part I map (58 vs 32). East Boston wins the errand count. East Boston has the lower ACS median ($1,918).
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 | East Boston | West End |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 58 | 32 |
| Schools | 29 | 32 |
| Walk | 65 | 22 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 75 |
| Vibe | 57 | 38 |
| Median rent | $1,918 | $3,346 |
| Median home | $664,819 | $824,636 |
| Population | 40,017 | 8,249 |
| Commute to Downtown | 18 min | 8 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 16 min | 14 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 32 min | 18 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | East Boston | West End |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 71% | 84% |
| Median age | 35.2 | 34.1 |
| Median income | $86K | $143K |
| Part I per 1k | 13.4 | 19.0 |
| Groceries / 800m | 66 | 13 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 130 | 100 |
| Parks / 800m | 92 | 73 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Boston city. Up 65% since 2014. Eastie is 11% 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 East Boston if the rent gap is the point and you want the errands on foot. ACS median rent is $1,918 vs $3,346. Walk is 65 vs 22. Safety is 58 vs 32. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick West End if the shorter ride to Downtown is the point. 8 vs 18 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
East Boston
Eastie: the airport, the water taxi, and streets that still feel like a neighborhood that was not supposed to get this expensive. Maverick and Orient Heights are the T stops.
$1,918 median rent · safety 58 · walk 65
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, East Boston or West End?
East Boston is the lower ACS median: $1,918 vs $3,346. About 71% rent in East Boston vs 84% in West End. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is East Boston more walkable than West End?
East Boston wins the errand count (walk 65 vs 22). Groceries inside 800 meters: 66 vs 13. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, East Boston or West End?
East Boston is the calmer Part I read (58 vs 32). Combined rate 13.4 vs 19.0 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, East Boston or West End?
West End leads the school axis (32 vs 29). Nearby rating is 6.3 / 10 vs 6.2 / 10. Median age 34.1 vs 35.2. East Boston has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
18 minutes from East Boston 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 East Boston or West End: 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.
Scores are relative among official Boston planning neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.