Boston/Compare
South Boston vs West End
South Boston and West End are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. West End is the calmer Part I map (32 vs 26). Walk is a wash (18 vs 22). South Boston has the lower ACS median ($2,628).
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 | South Boston | West End |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 26 | 32 |
| Schools | 61 | 32 |
| Walk | 18 | 22 |
| Cost fit | 95 | 75 |
| Vibe | 18 | 38 |
| Median rent | $2,628 | $3,346 |
| Median home | $858,080 | $824,636 |
| Population | 36,766 | 8,249 |
| Commute to Downtown | 12 min | 8 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 8 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 | South Boston | West End |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 55% | 84% |
| Median age | 32.9 | 34.1 |
| Median income | $166K | $143K |
| Part I per 1k | 19.5 | 19.0 |
| Groceries / 800m | 7 | 13 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 143 | 100 |
| Parks / 800m | 43 | 73 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Boston city. Up 65% since 2014. Southie is 22% 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 South Boston if the school rating nearby is the point and the rent gap is the point. Schools score 61 vs 32. ACS median rent is $2,628 vs $3,346. South Boston is tagged family on this map; West End is not. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick West End if you want the cafes and the night. Vibe is 38 vs 18. Read both pages before you decide.
South Boston
Southie. Broadway is one 10 p.m.; the Seaport search is another, and the waterfront is its own BPDA polygon we fold here as an alias. The beach is real. The parking is also real.
$2,628 median rent · safety 26 · walk 18
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, South Boston or West End?
South Boston is the lower ACS median: $2,628 vs $3,346. About 55% rent in South Boston vs 84% in West End. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is South Boston more walkable than West End?
Walk is basically a tie (18 vs 22). Count groceries if you care: 7 in South Boston vs 13 in West End, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, South Boston or West End?
West End is the calmer Part I read (32 vs 26). Combined rate 19.0 vs 19.5 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, South Boston or West End?
South Boston leads the school axis (61 vs 32). Nearby rating is 7.1 / 10 vs 6.3 / 10. Median age 32.9 vs 34.1. West End has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
12 minutes from South Boston 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 South Boston or West End: Downtown. Downtown Crossing, the Common’s other edge, Chinatown and the Leather District as search terms. Walk maxes out. Part I is padded by people who do not sleep here.
Scores are relative among official Boston planning neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.