Safety index · Boston · data through September 2026
Is Roslindale safe?
Roslindale sits at the safer end of Boston by reported crime. Its SafeRoute safety index is 86 out of 100 — 31 points above the citywide median of 55, ranking 2nd of 25 Boston neighborhoods — based on 144 incidents reported to the Boston Police within 1 km of the neighborhood center over the 8 months to September 2026.
DATA THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2026 · 8 MONTHS OF DATA
The 0–100 scale is calibrated to Boston — a typical Boston neighborhood sits near 55. It ranks Roslindale against other neighborhoods here, and cannot be read against a score in another city.
The largest reported category here is violent crime (15% 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 5% of severity-weighted reports fall overnight (midnight–6 a.m.).
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Violent crime | 22 · 15% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 13 · 9% | |
| Vehicle crime | 21 · 15% | |
| Burglary | 12 · 8% | |
| Public order | 12 · 8% | |
| Other theft | 18 · 13% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from police incident timestamps.
Walking in Roslindale 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
- West Roxbury91/100 · Low risk
- Mattapan48/100 · Elevated
- Jamaica Plain55/100 · Moderate
- Hyde Park64/100 · Moderate
- Roxbury47/100 · Elevated
Common questions
Is Roslindale safe at night?
Low risk overall (safety index 86/100). About 39% of severity-weighted incidents in Roslindale are reported between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Reported crime is low for Boston, but stick to lit, busier streets late.
What is the most common crime in Roslindale?
Violent crime — 22 of 144 incidents (15%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center over the 8 months to September 2026.
How is the Roslindale 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. The scale is calibrated within Boston, so scores compare neighborhoods to each other and cannot be read against another city's.