Boston/Compare
Mission Hill vs Roxbury
Mission Hill and Roxbury are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. Mission Hill is the calmer Part I map (68 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 | Mission Hill | Roxbury |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 68 | 16 |
| Schools | 21 | 4 |
| Walk | 0 | 50 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 12 | 45 |
| Median rent | $1,785 | $1,278 |
| Median home | $869,287 | $690,499 |
| Population | 15,407 | 50,658 |
| Commute to Downtown | 16 min | 16 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 22 min | 18 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 8 min | 12 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Mission Hill | Roxbury |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 90% | 76% |
| Median age | 27.2 | 35 |
| Median income | $65K | $52K |
| Part I per 1k | 11.6 | 26.3 |
| Groceries / 800m | 5 | 9 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 73 | 221 |
| Parks / 800m | 42 | 134 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Boston city. Up 65% since 2014. Mission is 17% 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 Mission Hill if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the school rating nearby is the point. Safety is 68 vs 16. Schools score 21 vs 4. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Roxbury if you want the errands on foot and you want the cafes and the night. Walk is 50 vs 0. Vibe is 45 vs 12. ACS median rent is $1,278 vs $1,785. Read both pages before you decide.
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.
$1,785 median rent · safety 68 · walk 0
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, Mission Hill or Roxbury?
Roxbury is the lower ACS median: $1,785 vs $1,278. About 76% rent in Roxbury vs 90% in Mission Hill. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Mission Hill more walkable than Roxbury?
Roxbury wins the errand count (walk 0 vs 50). Groceries inside 800 meters: 5 vs 9. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Mission Hill or Roxbury?
Mission Hill is the calmer Part I read (68 vs 16). Combined rate 11.6 vs 26.3 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Mission Hill or Roxbury?
Mission Hill leads the school axis (21 vs 4). Nearby rating is 6.0 / 10 vs 5.5 / 10. Median age 27.2 vs 35. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
16 minutes from Mission Hill to Downtown, 16 from Roxbury. A wash on this estimate. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning neighborhood that is not Mission Hill or Roxbury: Fenway. The park, the students, Kenmore, and Longwood as a search that actually sits next door. Game day is a tax. The rest of the week is apartments and hospitals.
Scores are relative among official Boston planning neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.