Boston/Compare
Mattapan vs Roslindale
Mattapan and Roslindale are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. Roslindale is the calmer Part I map (100 vs 53). Roslindale wins the errand count. Mattapan has the lower ACS median ($1,700).
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 | Mattapan | Roslindale |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 53 | 100 |
| Schools | 0 | 64 |
| Walk | 0 | 5 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 0 | 0 |
| Median rent | $1,700 | $2,057 |
| Median home | $549,567 | $680,810 |
| Population | 27,932 | 27,364 |
| Commute to Downtown | 32 min | 30 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 30 min | 32 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 28 min | 24 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Mattapan | Roslindale |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 55% | 43% |
| Median age | 38.7 | 39.2 |
| Median income | $77K | $115K |
| Part I per 1k | 14.4 | 6.5 |
| Groceries / 800m | 2 | 3 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 108 | 132 |
| Parks / 800m | 21 | 16 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Boston city. Up 65% since 2014. Mattapan is 21% below 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 Mattapan if the rent gap is the point. ACS median rent is $1,700 vs $2,057. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Roslindale if the school rating nearby is the point and the quieter map matters more than the scene. Schools score 64 vs 0. Safety is 100 vs 53. Read both pages before you decide.
Mattapan
The southern T. More Caribbean grocers than cafes. Cost is the point relative to this Boston set. Weight family and budget, not a night out.
$1,700 median rent · safety 53 · walk 0
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, Mattapan or Roslindale?
Mattapan is the lower ACS median: $1,700 vs $2,057. About 55% rent in Mattapan vs 43% in Roslindale. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Mattapan more walkable than Roslindale?
Roslindale wins the errand count (walk 0 vs 5). Groceries inside 800 meters: 2 vs 3. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Mattapan or Roslindale?
Roslindale is the calmer Part I read (100 vs 53). Combined rate 6.5 vs 14.4 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Mattapan or Roslindale?
Roslindale leads the school axis (64 vs 0). Nearby rating is 7.2 / 10 vs 5.4 / 10. Median age 39.2 vs 38.7. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
32 minutes from Mattapan to Downtown, 30 from Roslindale. Roslindale is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning neighborhood that is not Mattapan or Roslindale: 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.
Scores are relative among official Boston planning neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.