Boston/Compare
South End vs West End
South End and West End are two official planning neighborhoods in Boston. West End is the calmer Part I map (32 vs 11). West End wins the errand count. South End has the lower ACS median ($2,274).
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 End | West End |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 11 | 32 |
| Schools | 71 | 32 |
| Walk | 6 | 22 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 75 |
| Vibe | 25 | 38 |
| Median rent | $2,274 | $3,346 |
| Median home | $1,182,045 | $824,636 |
| Population | 29,435 | 8,249 |
| Commute to Downtown | 10 min | 8 min |
| Commute to Seaport | 14 min | 14 min |
| Commute to Longwood | 12 min | 18 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | South End | West End |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 63% | 84% |
| Median age | 38.9 | 34.1 |
| Median income | $129K | $143K |
| Part I per 1k | 30.1 | 19.0 |
| Groceries / 800m | 7 | 13 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 74 | 100 |
| Parks / 800m | 52 | 73 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Boston city. Up 65% since 2014. S End is 6% 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 End if the rent gap is the point and the school rating nearby is the point. ACS median rent is $2,274 vs $3,346. Schools score 71 vs 32. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick West End if the quieter map matters more than the scene and you want the errands on foot. Safety is 32 vs 11. Walk is 22 vs 6. Vibe is 38 vs 25. Read both pages before you decide.
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
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 End or West End?
South End is the lower ACS median: $2,274 vs $3,346. About 63% rent in South End vs 84% in West End. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is South End more walkable than West End?
West End wins the errand count (walk 6 vs 22). Groceries inside 800 meters: 7 vs 13. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, South End or West End?
West End is the calmer Part I read (32 vs 11). Combined rate 19.0 vs 30.1 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, South End or West End?
South End leads the school axis (71 vs 32). Nearby rating is 7.4 / 10 vs 6.3 / 10. Median age 38.9 vs 34.1. West End has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
10 minutes from South End 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 End or West End: Back Bay. Newbury, the brownstones, the Public Garden. Bay Village is a search term that sits inside the same planning neighborhood. You pay for the postcard and for the visitors who shop it.
Scores are relative among official Boston planning neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.