Boston/Compare
Roslindale vs West End
Roslindale and West End are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. Roslindale is the calmer Part I map (100 vs 32). West 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 | Roslindale | West End |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 100 | 32 |
| Schools | 64 | 32 |
| Walk | 5 | 22 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 75 |
| Vibe | 0 | 38 |
| Median rent | $2,057 | $3,346 |
| Median home | $680,810 | $824,636 |
| Population | 27,364 | 8,249 |
| Commute to Downtown | 30 min | 8 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 32 min | 14 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 24 min | 18 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Roslindale | West End |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 43% | 84% |
| Median age | 39.2 | 34.1 |
| Median income | $115K | $143K |
| Part I per 1k | 6.5 | 19.0 |
| Groceries / 800m | 3 | 13 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 132 | 100 |
| Parks / 800m | 16 | 73 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Boston city. Up 65% since 2014. Rozzie is 4% below 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 Roslindale if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the rent gap is the point. Safety is 100 vs 32. ACS median rent is $2,057 vs $3,346. Schools score 64 vs 32. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick West End if you want the cafes and the night and the shorter ride to Downtown is the point. Vibe is 38 vs 0. 8 vs 30 minutes to Downtown. Walk is 22 vs 5. Read both pages before you decide.
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
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, Roslindale or West End?
Roslindale is the lower ACS median: $2,057 vs $3,346. About 43% rent in Roslindale vs 84% in West End. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Roslindale more walkable than West End?
West End wins the errand count (walk 5 vs 22). Groceries inside 800 meters: 3 vs 13. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Roslindale or West End?
Roslindale is the calmer Part I read (100 vs 32). Combined rate 6.5 vs 19.0 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Roslindale or West End?
Roslindale leads the school axis (64 vs 32). Nearby rating is 7.2 / 10 vs 6.3 / 10. Median age 39.2 vs 34.1. West End has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
30 minutes from Roslindale to Downtown, 8 from West End. West End is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning neighborhood that is not Roslindale or West End: 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.