Boston/Compare
Fenway vs Roslindale
Fenway and Roslindale are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. Roslindale is the calmer Part I map (100 vs 47). Fenway wins the errand count. Roslindale has the lower ACS median ($2,057).
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 | Roslindale |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 47 | 100 |
| Schools | 36 | 64 |
| Walk | 19 | 5 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 34 | 0 |
| Median rent | $2,241 | $2,057 |
| Median home | $727,953 | $680,810 |
| Population | 33,093 | 27,364 |
| Commute to Downtown | 14 min | 30 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 20 min | 32 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 8 min | 24 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Fenway | Roslindale |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 90% | 43% |
| Median age | 23.7 | 39.2 |
| Median income | $62K | $115K |
| Part I per 1k | 14.9 | 6.5 |
| Groceries / 800m | 15 | 3 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 118 | 132 |
| Parks / 800m | 23 | 16 |
| 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. Rozzie is 4% 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 shorter ride to Downtown is the point. Vibe is 34 vs 0. 14 vs 30 minutes to Downtown. Walk is 19 vs 5. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Roslindale if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the school rating nearby is the point. Safety is 100 vs 47. Schools score 64 vs 36. Roslindale is tagged family on this map; Fenway is not. 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
Roslindale
Rozzie Square is the village. The Arnold Arboretum is the park you share with JP. More house than South End, less trip than West Roxbury.
$2,057 median rent · safety 100 · walk 5
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Fenway or Roslindale?
Roslindale is the lower ACS median: $2,241 vs $2,057. About 43% rent in Roslindale vs 90% in Fenway. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Fenway more walkable than Roslindale?
Fenway wins the errand count (walk 19 vs 5). Groceries inside 800 meters: 15 vs 3. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Fenway or Roslindale?
Roslindale is the calmer Part I read (100 vs 47). Combined rate 6.5 vs 14.9 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Fenway or Roslindale?
Roslindale leads the school axis (64 vs 36). Nearby rating is 7.2 / 10 vs 6.4 / 10. Median age 39.2 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, 30 from Roslindale. Fenway is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning neighborhood that is not Fenway or Roslindale: 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.