Boston/Compare
North End vs West End
North End and West End are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. North End is the calmer Part I map (95 vs 32). Walk is a wash (25 vs 22). North End has the lower ACS median ($2,728).
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 | West End |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 95 | 32 |
| Schools | 57 | 32 |
| Walk | 25 | 22 |
| Cost fit | 92 | 75 |
| Vibe | 54 | 38 |
| Median rent | $2,728 | $3,346 |
| Median home | $777,320 | $824,636 |
| Population | 9,436 | 8,249 |
| Commute to Downtown | 8 min | 8 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 12 min | 14 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 22 min | 18 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | North End | West End |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 78% | 84% |
| Median age | 30.7 | 34.1 |
| Median income | $115K | $143K |
| Part I per 1k | 7.0 | 19.0 |
| Groceries / 800m | 11 | 13 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 93 | 100 |
| Parks / 800m | 86 | 73 |
| 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. W End is 56% above 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 the quieter map matters more than the scene and the school rating nearby is the point. Safety is 95 vs 32. Schools score 57 vs 32. ACS median rent is $2,728 vs $3,346. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick West End if you already want this pocket more than the table. North End leads the numbered axes on this page.
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
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.
$3,346 median rent · safety 32 · walk 22
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, North End or West End?
North End is the lower ACS median: $2,728 vs $3,346. About 78% rent in North End vs 84% in West End. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is North End more walkable than West End?
Walk is basically a tie (25 vs 22). Count groceries if you care: 11 in North End vs 13 in West End, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, North End or West End?
North End is the calmer Part I read (95 vs 32). Combined rate 7.0 vs 19.0 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, North End or West End?
North End leads the school axis (57 vs 32). Nearby rating is 7.0 / 10 vs 6.3 / 10. Median age 30.7 vs 34.1. West 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, 8 from West End. A wash on this estimate. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning neighborhood that is not North End or West End: Charlestown. The Navy Yard, the monument, and a peninsula that still feels slightly separate. The bridge is the commute. Family streets sit two blocks off the tourist path.
Scores are relative among official Boston planning neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.