Safety index · Boston · data through July 2026
Is East Boston safe?
East Boston shows a typical level of reported crime for Boston. Its SafeRoute safety index is 64 out of 100 — 9 points above the citywide median of 55, ranking 9th of 25 Boston neighborhoods — based on 397 incidents reported to the Boston Police within 1 km of the neighborhood center (data through July 2026).
The largest reported category here is violent crime (18% of reports) — worth taking seriously when walking at night; the full mix is broken down below.
Reported incidents here skew to daytime and evening hours — only about 10% of severity-weighted reports fall overnight (midnight–6 a.m.).
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Violent crime | 70 · 18% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 37 · 9% | |
| Public order | 36 · 9% | |
| Other theft | 52 · 13% | |
| Shoplifting | 102 · 26% | |
| Drugs | 34 · 9% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from police incident timestamps.
Walking in East Boston at night?
SafeRoute scores every walking route against the same live crime data on this page — and shows how much of each route runs on lit streets. Pick the safer way, share your walk, and check in when you arrive. Free, no account.
Get SafeRoute on the App StoreNearby areas
- North End52/100 · Moderate
- Charlestown77/100 · Low risk
- West End47/100 · Elevated
- Downtown32/100 · Elevated
- Leather District36/100 · Elevated
Common questions
Is East Boston safe at night?
Moderate overall (safety index 64/100). About 45% of severity-weighted incidents in East Boston are reported between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. At night, prefer lit, busier streets — a block or two of detour often avoids the clusters on the map above.
What is the most common crime in East Boston?
Violent crime — 70 of 397 incidents (18%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center through July 2026.
How is the East Boston safety index calculated?
SafeRoute weights each incident reported to the Boston Police Department by severity (violence weighs more than shoplifting), sums the last available period within 1 km of the neighborhood center, and normalizes against citywide crime rates onto a 0–100 scale — higher is safer. It describes reported crime only; it is not a guarantee of safety.