Boston/Compare
Mission Hill vs West Roxbury
Mission Hill and West Roxbury are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. West Roxbury is the calmer Part I map (84 vs 68). West Roxbury wins the errand count. Mission Hill has the lower ACS median ($1,785).
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 | West Roxbury |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 68 | 84 |
| Schools | 21 | 93 |
| Walk | 0 | 19 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 12 | 2 |
| Median rent | $1,785 | $1,941 |
| Median home | $869,287 | $749,475 |
| Population | 15,407 | 31,557 |
| Commute to Downtown | 16 min | 34 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 22 min | 38 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 8 min | 28 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Mission Hill | West Roxbury |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 90% | 39% |
| Median age | 27.2 | 42.6 |
| Median income | $65K | $125K |
| Part I per 1k | 11.6 | 9.1 |
| Groceries / 800m | 5 | 6 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 73 | 191 |
| Parks / 800m | 42 | 19 |
| 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. 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 Mission Hill if the shorter ride to Downtown is the point and you want the cafes and the night. 16 vs 34 minutes to Downtown. Vibe is 12 vs 2. ACS median rent is $1,785 vs $1,941. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick West Roxbury if the school rating nearby is the point and you want the errands on foot. Schools score 93 vs 21. Walk is 19 vs 0. Safety is 84 vs 68. 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
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, Mission Hill or West Roxbury?
Mission Hill is the lower ACS median: $1,785 vs $1,941. About 90% rent in Mission Hill vs 39% in West Roxbury. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Mission Hill more walkable than West Roxbury?
West Roxbury wins the errand count (walk 0 vs 19). Groceries inside 800 meters: 5 vs 6. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Mission Hill or West Roxbury?
West Roxbury is the calmer Part I read (84 vs 68). Combined rate 9.1 vs 11.6 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Mission Hill or West Roxbury?
West Roxbury leads the school axis (93 vs 21). Nearby rating is 8.0 / 10 vs 6.0 / 10. Median age 42.6 vs 27.2. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
16 minutes from Mission Hill to Downtown, 34 from West Roxbury. Mission Hill is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning neighborhood that is not Mission Hill 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.