Boston/Compare
Fenway vs Jamaica Plain
Fenway and Jamaica Plain are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. Fenway is the calmer Part I map (47 vs 37). Walk is a wash (19 vs 23). Jamaica Plain has the lower ACS median ($2,128).
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 | Fenway | Jamaica Plain |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 47 | 37 |
| Schools | 36 | 75 |
| Walk | 19 | 23 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 34 | 27 |
| Median rent | $2,241 | $2,128 |
| Median home | $727,953 | $843,190 |
| Population | 33,093 | 44,235 |
| Commute to Downtown | 14 min | 22 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 20 min | 26 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 8 min | 14 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Fenway | Jamaica Plain |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 90% | 56% |
| Median age | 23.7 | 36.4 |
| Median income | $62K | $134K |
| Part I per 1k | 14.9 | 16.4 |
| Groceries / 800m | 15 | 18 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 118 | 119 |
| Parks / 800m | 23 | 60 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Boston city. Up 65% since 2014. Fenway is 4% above the 2024 city median. JP is 1% 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 Fenway if you want the cafes and the night and the quieter map matters more than the scene. Vibe is 34 vs 27. Safety is 47 vs 37. 14 vs 22 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Jamaica Plain if the school rating nearby is the point and you want the quieter, family-leaning read. Schools score 75 vs 36. Jamaica Plain is tagged family on this map; Fenway is not. ACS median rent is $2,128 vs $2,241. Read both pages before you decide.
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
Jamaica Plain
JP: the Pond, Centre Street, and the first stop for people who want a porch without leaving the city line. The Southwest Corridor is the spine.
$2,128 median rent · safety 37 · walk 23
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Fenway or Jamaica Plain?
Jamaica Plain is the lower ACS median: $2,241 vs $2,128. About 56% rent in Jamaica Plain vs 90% in Fenway. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Fenway more walkable than Jamaica Plain?
Walk is basically a tie (19 vs 23). Count groceries if you care: 15 in Fenway vs 18 in Jamaica Plain, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, Fenway or Jamaica Plain?
Fenway is the calmer Part I read (47 vs 37). Combined rate 14.9 vs 16.4 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Fenway or Jamaica Plain?
Jamaica Plain leads the school axis (75 vs 36). Nearby rating is 7.5 / 10 vs 6.4 / 10. Median age 36.4 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 Fenway to Downtown, 22 from Jamaica Plain. Fenway is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning neighborhood that is not Fenway or Jamaica Plain: Mission Hill. The hill above the Longwood hospitals. Students, brick, and a walk to the Fens. Quieter than Fenway’s bars, tighter than JP’s porches.
Scores are relative among official Boston planning neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.