Boston/Compare
Roxbury vs South End
Roxbury and South End are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. Roxbury is the calmer Part I map (16 vs 11). Roxbury wins the errand count. Roxbury has the lower ACS median ($1,278).
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 | Roxbury | South End |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 16 | 11 |
| Schools | 4 | 71 |
| Walk | 50 | 6 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 45 | 25 |
| Median rent | $1,278 | $2,274 |
| Median home | $690,499 | $1,182,045 |
| Population | 50,658 | 29,435 |
| Commute to Downtown | 16 min | 10 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 18 min | 14 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 12 min | 12 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Roxbury | South End |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 76% | 63% |
| Median age | 35 | 38.9 |
| Median income | $52K | $129K |
| Part I per 1k | 26.3 | 30.1 |
| Groceries / 800m | 9 | 7 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 221 | 74 |
| Parks / 800m | 134 | 52 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Boston city. Up 65% since 2014. Roxbury is 40% below the 2024 city median. S End is 6% 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 Roxbury if you want the errands on foot and the rent gap is the point. Walk is 50 vs 6. ACS median rent is $1,278 vs $2,274. Vibe is 45 vs 25. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick South End if the school rating nearby is the point and the shorter ride to Downtown is the point. Schools score 71 vs 4. 10 vs 16 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
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.
$1,278 median rent · safety 16 · walk 50
South End
SoWa, brownstones, and a grid that walks. Tremont and Washington are the strips. Quieter than Back Bay’s shopping, denser than JP.
$2,274 median rent · safety 11 · walk 6
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Roxbury or South End?
Roxbury is the lower ACS median: $1,278 vs $2,274. About 76% rent in Roxbury vs 63% in South End. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Roxbury more walkable than South End?
Roxbury wins the errand count (walk 50 vs 6). Groceries inside 800 meters: 9 vs 7. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Roxbury or South End?
Roxbury is the calmer Part I read (16 vs 11). Combined rate 26.3 vs 30.1 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Roxbury or South End?
South End leads the school axis (71 vs 4). Nearby rating is 7.4 / 10 vs 5.5 / 10. Median age 38.9 vs 35. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
16 minutes from Roxbury to Downtown, 10 from South End. South End is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official planning neighborhood that is not Roxbury or South End: 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.
Scores are relative among official Boston planning neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.