Boston/Compare
Hyde Park vs South End
Hyde Park and South End are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. Hyde Park is the calmer Part I map (63 vs 11). Hyde Park wins the errand count. Hyde Park has the lower ACS median ($2,033).
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 | Hyde Park | South End |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 63 | 11 |
| Schools | 43 | 71 |
| Walk | 20 | 6 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 4 | 25 |
| Median rent | $2,033 | $2,274 |
| Median home | $565,339 | $1,182,045 |
| Population | 35,895 | 29,435 |
| Commute to Downtown | 36 min | 10 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 38 min | 14 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 32 min | 12 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Hyde Park | South End |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 40% | 63% |
| Median age | 39.6 | 38.9 |
| Median income | $105K | $129K |
| Part I per 1k | 11.9 | 30.1 |
| Groceries / 800m | 7 | 7 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 183 | 74 |
| Parks / 800m | 30 | 52 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Boston city. Up 65% since 2014. Hyde Pk is 5% below the 2024 city median. S End is 6% 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 Hyde Park if the quieter map matters more than the scene and you want the errands on foot. Safety is 63 vs 11. Walk is 20 vs 6. Hyde Park is tagged family on this map; South End is not. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick South End if the school rating nearby is the point and the shorter ride to Downtown is the point. Schools score 71 vs 43. 10 vs 36 minutes to Downtown. Vibe is 25 vs 4. Read both pages before you decide.
Hyde Park
The southern edge. More house than brick, more car than T. Readville and the river are the quieter searches. Downtown is a trip, not a walk.
$2,033 median rent · safety 63 · walk 20
South End
SoWa, brownstones, and a grid that walks. Tremont and Washington are the strips. Quieter than Back Bay’s shopping, denser than JP.
$2,274 median rent · safety 11 · walk 6
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Hyde Park or South End?
Hyde Park is the lower ACS median: $2,033 vs $2,274. About 40% rent in Hyde Park vs 63% in South End. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Hyde Park more walkable than South End?
Hyde Park wins the errand count (walk 20 vs 6). Groceries inside 800 meters: 7 vs 7. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Hyde Park or South End?
Hyde Park is the calmer Part I read (63 vs 11). Combined rate 11.9 vs 30.1 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Hyde Park or South End?
South End leads the school axis (71 vs 43). Nearby rating is 7.4 / 10 vs 6.6 / 10. Median age 38.9 vs 39.6. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
36 minutes from Hyde Park to Downtown, 10 from South End. South End is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning neighborhood that is not Hyde Park or South End: Roxbury. Dudley, Nubian Square, and a lot of city history in one official line. New infill sits next to older streets. Weight the numbers honestly; do not skip the page.
Scores are relative among official Boston planning neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.