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 2026.
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 $576,924 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 576,924), 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.
$123,289 median income · $742,385 median home value
$132,281 median income · $746,666 median home value
$93,684 median income · $776,224 median home value
$122,248 median income · $558,847 median home value
$101,034 median income · $1,078,380 median home value
$104,228 median income · $632,712 median home value
$92,096 median income · $503,105 median home value
$93,484 median income · $595,762 median home value
$61,281 median income · $306,048 median home value
$69,978 median income · $549,416 median home value
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Massachusetts’s statewide median.
Massachusetts statewide median: $103,960
Massachusetts statewide median: $656,690
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the best Boston, MA neighborhoods in 2026
To rank the best neighborhoods in Boston, we had to determine what criteria define “best” and then apply Saturday Night Science to it.
Using FBI 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, Charlestown.
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.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best neighborhoods to live in Boston.
The full plate
Table: Best Boston neighborhoods for 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by neighborhood name.
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charlestown | 19,678 | $742,385 | $123,289 |
| 2 | South Boston | 41,090 | $746,666 | $132,281 |
| 3 | Back Bay-Beacon Hill | 28,988 | $776,224 | $93,684 |
| 4 | West Roxbury | 33,915 | $558,847 | $122,248 |
| 5 | South End | 33,120 | $1,078,380 | $101,034 |
| 6 | Jamaica Plain | 47,098 | $632,712 | $104,228 |
| 7 | Roslindale | 31,348 | $503,105 | $92,096 |
| 8 | Central | 33,579 | $595,762 | $93,484 |
| 9 | Allston-Brighton | 67,713 | $306,048 | $61,281 |
| 10 | East Boston | 45,902 | $549,416 | $69,978 |
| 11 | South Dorchester | 68,359 | $499,479 | $72,827 |
| 12 | North Dorchester | 26,430 | $574,240 | $78,922 |
| 13 | Hyde Park | 38,370 | $433,932 | $85,927 |
| 14 | Fenway-Kenmore | 38,280 | $241,970 | $48,949 |
| 15 | Mattapan | 42,727 | $455,068 | $59,871 |
| 16 | Roxbury | 58,696 | $536,559 | $39,763 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. All 16 Boston neighborhoods.
Summary
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.
The best neighborhoods in Boston are Charlestown, South Boston, Back Bay-Beacon Hill, West Roxbury, South End, Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, Central, Allston-Brighton, and East Boston.
As 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. Not sold on Massachusetts? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Neighborhoods In Boston FAQs
What is the best neighborhood in Boston?
Charlestown is the best neighborhood in Boston for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. South Boston and Back Bay-Beacon Hill are next.
What are the best neighborhoods in Boston?
The best neighborhoods in Boston are Charlestown, South Boston, Back Bay-Beacon Hill, West Roxbury, South End, Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, Central, Allston-Brighton, and East Boston. We ranked all 16 neighborhoods in the city.
How expensive is Charlestown?
The median household income in Charlestown is $123,289 and the median home costs $742,385. The best blocks in Boston rarely come at a discount.
How do you rank Boston neighborhoods?
Each neighborhood is scored on income, home values, population density, unemployment, and crime, using Census tract data. The neighborhood with the best combined score, Charlestown, takes the top spot.
Which Boston neighborhood ranked last?
Roxbury came in last of the 16 neighborhoods we scored. Every city has a bottom of the table; in Boston the numbers put it there.
