Boston/Compare
Jamaica Plain vs West Roxbury
Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. West Roxbury is the calmer Part I map (84 vs 37). Walk is a wash (23 vs 19). West Roxbury has the lower ACS median ($1,941).
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 | West Roxbury |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 37 | 84 |
| Schools | 75 | 93 |
| Walk | 23 | 19 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 27 | 2 |
| Median rent | $2,128 | $1,941 |
| Median home | $843,190 | $749,475 |
| Population | 44,235 | 31,557 |
| Commute to Downtown | 22 min | 34 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 26 min | 38 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 14 min | 28 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Jamaica Plain | West Roxbury |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 56% | 39% |
| Median age | 36.4 | 42.6 |
| Median income | $134K | $125K |
| Part I per 1k | 16.4 | 9.1 |
| Groceries / 800m | 18 | 6 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 119 | 191 |
| Parks / 800m | 60 | 19 |
| 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. W Rox is 10% 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 you want the cafes and the night and the shorter ride to Downtown is the point. Vibe is 27 vs 2. 22 vs 34 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick West Roxbury if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the school rating nearby is the point. Safety is 84 vs 37. Schools score 93 vs 75. ACS median rent is $1,941 vs $2,128. 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
West Roxbury
The most house-like official neighborhood in this Boston set. Centre Street, lawns, and a drive to almost every night that is not a pizza. Weight family and safety.
$1,941 median rent · safety 84 · walk 19
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Jamaica Plain or West Roxbury?
West Roxbury is the lower ACS median: $2,128 vs $1,941. About 39% rent in West Roxbury vs 56% in Jamaica Plain. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Jamaica Plain more walkable than West Roxbury?
Walk is basically a tie (23 vs 19). Count groceries if you care: 18 in Jamaica Plain vs 6 in West Roxbury, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, Jamaica Plain or West Roxbury?
West Roxbury is the calmer Part I read (84 vs 37). Combined rate 9.1 vs 16.4 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Jamaica Plain or West Roxbury?
West Roxbury leads the school axis (93 vs 75). Nearby rating is 8.0 / 10 vs 7.5 / 10. Median age 42.6 vs 36.4. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
22 minutes from Jamaica Plain to Downtown, 34 from West Roxbury. Jamaica Plain is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning neighborhood that is not Jamaica Plain or West Roxbury: 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.