The 10 Best Neighborhoods In Boston For 2022


We used science and data to determine which neighborhoods in Boston are the best of the best.

Boston feels like nowhere but Boston. Beantown has its own style and set of rules and this is most evident in the city's 16 neighborhoods. And undoubtedly while searching for a great neighborhood to buy or rent your forever home, questions will arise. Like, is a neighborhood safe? Is it affordable? Will there be a bunch of other Red Sox fans that live there? You know, the important things. Now, HomeSnacks can't guarantee you a Red Sox fan on every street (although we're pretty sure there are a lot); but, we can tell you the top ten best neighborhoods in Boston for 2022.

In any one of Boston's neighborhoods you'll be met with genuine and friendly Bostonians ready to help you at the drop of a hat as well as neighborhood watch email chains to keep you informed and safe. So, to narrow down Boston's best of the best neighborhoods was quite difficult. The neighborhoods that made this list are the ones that find themselves in those fancy hotel magazines under the heading "must see districts" due to their flare and unwavering city pride.

Take for instance, the traditions and annual rituals in the West Roxbury neighborhood make its $383,825 justifiable. If you are looking for a neighborhood with water access, meet-ups, and affordable shopping and entertainment, Charlestown knows how to have fun. And although Central is one of Boston's wealthiest neighborhoods, (the homes in Central will cost close to 383,825), the upside is that this neighborhood is close to great shopping, restaurants and the I-93.

So, want to know where Boston's safest, most affordable neighborhoods are located? Keep reading, you're about to find out.

Boston is one of the oldest cities in America. So, The City on the Hill has had a lot of time to perfect what makes it great; and, folks, it starts in its neighborhoods. The fact that it is still one of the fastest growing cities in the country says something about how desirable this city must be. And there's probably no one who knows this better than the residents in Boston's number one best neighborhood.

So, what is the best neighborhood in Boston for 2022? According to the latest census data, Back Bay-Beacon Hill is Boston's number one.

To see where the rest of Boston's neighborhoods landed on our list, take a look below. And if you don't see your favorite there, head to the bottom.

For more Massachusetts reading, check out:

Best Neighborhoods In Boston

The 10 Best Neighborhoods To Live In Boston

Population: 28,988
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $776,224 (best)
Median Income: $93,684 (best)
More on Back Bay-Beacon Hill: Homes For Sale | Data

Back Bay-Beacon Hill Boston, MA

Population: 17,208
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $426,124 (Fourth best)
Median Income: $91,998 (Third best)
More on Charlestown: Homes For Sale | Data

Charlestown Boston, MA

Source: Public domain

Population: 32,855
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $407,058 (Fifth best)
Median Income: $91,763 (Fourth best)
More on West Roxbury: Homes For Sale | Data

West Roxbury Boston, MA

Source: Public domain

Population: 33,579
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $595,762 (Second best)
Median Income: $93,484 (Second best)
More on Central: Homes For Sale | Data

Central Boston, MA

Population: 34,304
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $558,804 (Third best)
Median Income: $72,022 (Eighth best)
More on South End: Homes For Sale | Data

South End Boston, MA

Source: Public domain

Population: 67,713
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $306,048 (11th best)
Median Income: $61,281 (11th best)
More on Allston-Brighton: Homes For Sale | Data

Population: 38,206
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $367,531 (Sixth best)
Median Income: $86,753 (Fifth best)
More on South Boston: Homes For Sale | Data

South Boston Boston, MA

Population: 45,158
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $359,364 (Seventh best)
Median Income: $75,652 (Seventh best)
More on Jamaica Plain: Homes For Sale | Data

Jamaica Plain Boston, MA

Source: Public domain

Population: 36,129
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $293,614 (12th best)
Median Income: $80,867 (Sixth best)
More on Roslindale: Homes For Sale | Data

Population: 66,765
Rank Last Year: 10 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $352,652 (Eighth best)
Median Income: $61,578 (Tenth best)
More on South Dorchester: Homes For Sale | Data

Methodology: How We Determined The Best Boston, MA Neighborhoods In 2022

In order to rank the best neighborhoods in Boston, we had to determine what criteria defines a "best".

Using crime, census, and extrapolated BLS data, we arrived at the following set of criteria:

  • High incomes
  • Low unemployment rates
  • Low crime
  • High home prices
  • High population densities (A proxy for things to do)

We then ranked each neighborhood with scores from 1 to 16 in each category, where 1 was the best.

Next, we averaged the rankings for each neighborhood to create a best neighborhood index.

And finally, we crowned the neighborhood with the lowest best neighborhood index the "Best City Neighborhood In Boston." We're lookin' at you, Back Bay-Beacon Hill.

Read on below to learn more about what it's like to live in the best places Boston, Massachusetts has to offer. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the neighborhoods in the city from best to worst.

Summary: Putting A Bow On Our Analysis Of The Best Neighborhoods In Boston

If you're measuring the neighborhoods in Boston where crime is low and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.

As we mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Boston aren't all good. Roxbury takes the title of the worst neighborhood to live in Boston.

We ranked the neighborhoods from best to worst in the chart below.

For more Massachusetts reading, check out:

Best Neighborhoods To Live In Boston For 2022 Detailed Data

Rank Neighborhood Population Home Value Median Income
1 Back Bay-Beacon Hill 28,988 $776,224 $93,684
2 Charlestown 17,208 $426,124 $91,998
3 West Roxbury 32,855 $407,058 $91,763
4 Central 33,579 $595,762 $93,484
5 South End 34,304 $558,804 $72,022
6 Allston-Brighton 67,713 $306,048 $61,281
7 South Boston 38,206 $367,531 $86,753
8 Jamaica Plain 45,158 $359,364 $75,652
9 Roslindale 36,129 $293,614 $80,867
10 South Dorchester 66,765 $352,652 $61,578
11 Fenway-Kenmore 38,280 $241,970 $48,949
12 Hyde Park 35,116 $324,484 $65,408
13 East Boston 43,436 $276,989 $56,961
14 North Dorchester 27,791 $343,331 $56,252
15 Mattapan 39,010 $237,849 $45,798
16 Roxbury 63,672 $273,402 $34,616

Editor's Note: We updated this article for 2022. This is our ninth time ranking the best neighborhoods to live in Boston.
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.