Boston/Compare
North End vs Roslindale
North End and Roslindale are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. Roslindale is the calmer Part I map (100 vs 95). North End wins the errand count. Roslindale has the lower ACS median ($2,057).
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 | North End | Roslindale |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 95 | 100 |
| Schools | 57 | 64 |
| Walk | 25 | 5 |
| Cost fit | 92 | 100 |
| Vibe | 54 | 0 |
| Median rent | $2,728 | $2,057 |
| Median home | $777,320 | $680,810 |
| Population | 9,436 | 27,364 |
| Commute to Downtown | 8 min | 30 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 12 min | 32 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 22 min | 24 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | North End | Roslindale |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 78% | 43% |
| Median age | 30.7 | 39.2 |
| Median income | $115K | $115K |
| Part I per 1k | 7.0 | 6.5 |
| Groceries / 800m | 11 | 3 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 93 | 132 |
| Parks / 800m | 86 | 16 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Boston city. Up 65% since 2014. N End is 27% above 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 North End if you want the cafes and the night and the shorter ride to Downtown is the point. Vibe is 54 vs 0. 8 vs 30 minutes to Downtown. Walk is 25 vs 5. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Roslindale if the rent gap is the point and you want the quieter, family-leaning read. ACS median rent is $2,057 vs $2,728. Roslindale is tagged family on this map; North End is not. Read both pages before you decide.
North End
Hanover Street is the postcard. The alleys are where people actually live. You will hear the tourists. You will also walk to a grocery if you picked the right block.
$2,728 median rent · safety 95 · walk 25
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, North End or Roslindale?
Roslindale is the lower ACS median: $2,728 vs $2,057. About 43% rent in Roslindale vs 78% in North End. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is North End more walkable than Roslindale?
North End wins the errand count (walk 25 vs 5). Groceries inside 800 meters: 11 vs 3. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, North End or Roslindale?
Roslindale is the calmer Part I read (100 vs 95). Combined rate 6.5 vs 7.0 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, North End or Roslindale?
Roslindale leads the school axis (64 vs 57). Nearby rating is 7.2 / 10 vs 7.0 / 10. Median age 39.2 vs 30.7. North End has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
8 minutes from North End to Downtown, 30 from Roslindale. North End is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning neighborhood that is not North End or Roslindale: West End. MGH, the Garden, and towers that replaced a neighborhood. New rental, high median, and a walk to the river. You live here for the job and the T, not a main street.
Scores are relative among official Boston planning neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.