Boston/Compare
Jamaica Plain vs South End
Jamaica Plain and South End are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. Jamaica Plain is the calmer Part I map (37 vs 11). Jamaica Plain wins the errand count. 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 | Jamaica Plain | South End |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 37 | 11 |
| Schools | 75 | 71 |
| Walk | 23 | 6 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 27 | 25 |
| Median rent | $2,128 | $2,274 |
| Median home | $843,190 | $1,182,045 |
| Population | 44,235 | 29,435 |
| Commute to Downtown | 22 min | 10 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 26 min | 14 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 | South End |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 56% | 63% |
| Median age | 36.4 | 38.9 |
| Median income | $134K | $129K |
| Part I per 1k | 16.4 | 30.1 |
| Groceries / 800m | 18 | 7 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 119 | 74 |
| Parks / 800m | 60 | 52 |
| 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. 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 Jamaica Plain if the quieter map matters more than the scene and you want the errands on foot. Safety is 37 vs 11. Walk is 23 vs 6. Jamaica Plain is tagged family on this map; South End is not. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick South End if the shorter ride to Downtown is the point. 10 vs 22 minutes to Downtown. 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
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, Jamaica Plain or South End?
Jamaica Plain is the lower ACS median: $2,128 vs $2,274. About 56% rent in Jamaica Plain vs 63% in South End. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Jamaica Plain more walkable than South End?
Jamaica Plain wins the errand count (walk 23 vs 6). Groceries inside 800 meters: 18 vs 7. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Jamaica Plain or South End?
Jamaica Plain is the calmer Part I read (37 vs 11). Combined rate 16.4 vs 30.1 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Jamaica Plain or South End?
Jamaica Plain leads the school axis (75 vs 71). Nearby rating is 7.5 / 10 vs 7.4 / 10. Median age 36.4 vs 38.9. South End has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
22 minutes from Jamaica Plain 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 Jamaica Plain 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.