Boston/Compare
Roslindale vs West Roxbury
Roslindale and West Roxbury are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. Roslindale is the calmer Part I map (100 vs 84). West Roxbury wins the errand count. West Roxbury has the lower ACS median ($1,941).
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 Roxbury |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 100 | 84 |
| Schools | 64 | 93 |
| Walk | 5 | 19 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 0 | 2 |
| Median rent | $2,057 | $1,941 |
| Median home | $680,810 | $749,475 |
| Population | 27,364 | 31,557 |
| Commute to Downtown | 30 min | 34 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 32 min | 38 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 24 min | 28 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Roslindale | West Roxbury |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 43% | 39% |
| Median age | 39.2 | 42.6 |
| Median income | $115K | $125K |
| Part I per 1k | 6.5 | 9.1 |
| Groceries / 800m | 3 | 6 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 132 | 191 |
| Parks / 800m | 16 | 19 |
| 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 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 Roslindale if the quieter map matters more than the scene. Safety is 100 vs 84. 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 64. Walk is 19 vs 5. ACS median rent is $1,941 vs $2,057. 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 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, Roslindale or West Roxbury?
West Roxbury is the lower ACS median: $2,057 vs $1,941. About 39% rent in West Roxbury vs 43% in Roslindale. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Roslindale more walkable than West Roxbury?
West Roxbury wins the errand count (walk 5 vs 19). Groceries inside 800 meters: 3 vs 6. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Roslindale or West Roxbury?
Roslindale is the calmer Part I read (100 vs 84). Combined rate 6.5 vs 9.1 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Roslindale or West Roxbury?
West Roxbury leads the school axis (93 vs 64). Nearby rating is 8.0 / 10 vs 7.2 / 10. Median age 42.6 vs 39.2. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
30 minutes from Roslindale to Downtown, 34 from West Roxbury. Roslindale is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning neighborhood that is not Roslindale or West Roxbury: Jamaica Plain. JP: the Pond, Centre Street, and the first stop for people who want a porch without leaving the city line. The Southwest Corridor is the spine.
Scores are relative among official Boston planning neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.