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    Best Neighborhoods in Boston, MA

    4 neighborhoods ranked by safety, walkability, affordability, and quality of life — powered by real data from the US Census, FBI, EPA, and Walk Score.

    Population: 675,6472026 Data

    Best Neighborhoods in Boston, MA — Key Takeaways

    The best neighborhood in Boston is Beacon Hill with a Kurby Score of 71/100. Boston has 4 neighborhoods ranked by quality of life data. The safest neighborhood is Beacon Hill with a violent crime rate of 3.3 per 1,000 residents, 11% below the national average of 3.7. The most affordable is Cambridge with a median home value of $785,000. The most walkable is Back Bay with a Walk Score of 100/100.

    Boston has a population of 675,647, a median household income of $76,298, an unemployment rate of 4.6%. The median home value citywide is $620,000, which is 120% above the national average of $281,900.

    Data sourced from the US Census Bureau, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA AirNow, Walk Score, and FEMA. Last updated: March 2026.

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    Top 3 Neighborhoods

    Beacon Hill

    71/100

    Kurby Score

    $985,000
    Walk: 99
    Crime: 3.3

    South End Boston

    68/100

    Kurby Score

    $825,000
    Walk: 97
    Crime: 3.3

    Back Bay

    66/100

    Kurby Score

    $1,050,000
    Walk: 100
    Crime: 3.3
    Complete Rankings — 4 Neighborhoods
    Best neighborhoods in Boston ranked by Kurby Score, with median home value, walk score, crime rate, poverty rate, and unemployment rate.
    #NeighborhoodKurby Score
    		Beacon Hill71
    		South End Boston68
    		Back Bay66
    4
    		Cambridge61

    Rankings by Category

    Top 5 neighborhoods in Boston for each quality-of-life metric.

    Safest

    Lowest violent crime rate

    1. 1
      Beacon Hill
      3.3 per 1K
    2. 2
      South End Boston
      3.3 per 1K
    3. 3
      Back Bay
      3.3 per 1K
    4. 4
      Cambridge
      3.3 per 1K
    Most Walkable

    Highest Walk Score

    1. 1
      Back Bay
      100/100
    2. 2
      Beacon Hill
      99/100
    3. 3
      South End Boston
      97/100
    4. 4
      Cambridge
      94/100
    Most Affordable

    Lowest median home value

    1. 1
      Cambridge
      $785,000
    2. 2
      South End Boston
      $825,000
    3. 3
      Beacon Hill
      $985,000
    4. 4
      Back Bay
      $1,050,000
    Lowest Unemployment

    Lowest unemployment rate

    1. 1
      Cambridge
      4.2%
    2. 2
      Beacon Hill
      4.6%
    3. 3
      South End Boston
      4.6%
    4. 4
      Back Bay
      4.6%
    Highest Income

    Highest median household income

    1. 1
      Beacon Hill
      $186,477
    2. 2
      Back Bay
      $143,077
    3. 3
      Cambridge
      $94,306
    4. 4
      South End Boston
      $24,728
    Best Air Quality

    Lowest Air Quality Index

    1. 1
      Beacon Hill
      AQI 52
    2. 2
      South End Boston
      AQI 52
    3. 3
      Back Bay
      AQI 52
    4. 4
      Cambridge
      AQI 52
    Best for Families

    Most nearby schools

    1. 1
      South End Boston
      50 schools
    2. 2
      Back Bay
      50 schools
    3. 3
      Cambridge
      50 schools
    How We Rank Neighborhoods in Boston

    Neighborhoods are ranked using the Kurby Score, a composite quality-of-life index that evaluates seven weighted categories based on publicly available data:

    Affordability
    20% weight
    Walkability & Transit
    15% weight
    Safety
    15% weight
    Environment
    15% weight
    Housing Market
    15% weight
    Education
    10% weight
    Economy
    10% weight

    Each category incorporates multiple data points. For example, Safety uses both violent and property crime rates; Environment considers air quality (AQI), noise levels, climate risk, and flood zone status; Housing Market factors in vacancy rates, homeownership rates, and effective tax rates.

    Data Sources: US Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR), EPA AirNow, Walk Score, DOT National Transportation Noise Map, FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and EIA Electricity Data. All data is updated on a rolling basis as new government releases become available.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What are the best neighborhoods in Boston?
    The top neighborhoods in Boston based on the Kurby Score are: Beacon Hill, South End Boston, Back Bay, Cambridge. These rankings consider safety, walkability, affordability, air quality, and schools.
    What is the safest neighborhood in Boston?
    The safest neighborhood in Boston is Beacon Hill with a violent crime rate of 3.3 per 1,000 residents. The national average is 3.7 per 1,000.
    What is the most affordable neighborhood in Boston?
    The most affordable neighborhood in Boston is Cambridge with a median home value of $785,000. The national median is $281,900.
    What is the most walkable neighborhood in Boston?
    The most walkable neighborhood in Boston is Back Bay with a Walk Score of 100/100. The national average Walk Score is 48/100.
    What is the unemployment rate in Boston?
    The unemployment rate in Boston, MA is 4.6%. The national average is 3.7%.
    What is the median household income in Boston?
    The median household income in Boston, MA is $76,298. The national median is $74,580.

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