Boston/Compare
Jamaica Plain vs Roxbury
Jamaica Plain and Roxbury are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. Jamaica Plain is the calmer Part I map (37 vs 16). Roxbury wins the errand count. Roxbury has the lower ACS median ($1,278).
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 | Jamaica Plain | Roxbury |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 37 | 16 |
| Schools | 75 | 4 |
| Walk | 23 | 50 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 27 | 45 |
| Median rent | $2,128 | $1,278 |
| Median home | $843,190 | $690,499 |
| Population | 44,235 | 50,658 |
| Commute to Downtown | 22 min | 16 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 26 min | 18 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 14 min | 12 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Jamaica Plain | Roxbury |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 56% | 76% |
| Median age | 36.4 | 35 |
| Median income | $134K | $52K |
| Part I per 1k | 16.4 | 26.3 |
| Groceries / 800m | 18 | 9 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 119 | 221 |
| Parks / 800m | 60 | 134 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Boston city. Up 65% since 2014. JP is 1% below the 2024 city median. Roxbury is 40% 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 Jamaica Plain if the school rating nearby is the point and the quieter map matters more than the scene. Schools score 75 vs 4. Safety is 37 vs 16. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Roxbury if the rent gap is the point and you want the errands on foot. ACS median rent is $1,278 vs $2,128. Walk is 50 vs 23. Vibe is 45 vs 27. Read both pages before you decide.
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
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.
$1,278 median rent · safety 16 · walk 50
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Jamaica Plain or Roxbury?
Roxbury is the lower ACS median: $2,128 vs $1,278. About 76% rent in Roxbury vs 56% in Jamaica Plain. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Jamaica Plain more walkable than Roxbury?
Roxbury wins the errand count (walk 23 vs 50). Groceries inside 800 meters: 18 vs 9. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Jamaica Plain or Roxbury?
Jamaica Plain is the calmer Part I read (37 vs 16). Combined rate 16.4 vs 26.3 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Jamaica Plain or Roxbury?
Jamaica Plain leads the school axis (75 vs 4). Nearby rating is 7.5 / 10 vs 5.5 / 10. Median age 36.4 vs 35. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
22 minutes from Jamaica Plain to Downtown, 16 from Roxbury. Roxbury is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning neighborhood that is not Jamaica Plain or Roxbury: 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.