Safety index · Boston · data through September 2026
Is South Boston Waterfront safe?
South Boston Waterfront sits at the safer end of Boston by reported crime. Its SafeRoute safety index is 83 out of 100 — 28 points above the citywide median of 55, ranking 3rd of 25 Boston neighborhoods — based on 149 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 South Boston Waterfront against other neighborhoods here, and cannot be read against a score in another city.
The largest reported category here is violent crime (32% of reports) — worth taking seriously when walking at night; the full mix is broken down below.
Timing matters here: about 38% of severity-weighted incidents are reported overnight (midnight–6 a.m.), so route choice late at night matters more than the headline number suggests.
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Violent crime | 48 · 32% | |
| Other theft | 34 · 23% | |
| Public order | 17 · 11% | |
| Other | 15 · 10% | |
| Drugs | 9 · 6% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 6 · 4% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from police incident timestamps.
Walking in South Boston Waterfront 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
- Leather District35/100 · Elevated
- Downtown31/100 · Elevated
- Chinatown36/100 · Elevated
- North End51/100 · Moderate
- South Boston67/100 · Moderate
Common questions
Is South Boston Waterfront safe at night?
Low risk overall (safety index 83/100). About 60% of severity-weighted incidents in South Boston Waterfront 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 South Boston Waterfront?
Violent crime — 48 of 149 incidents (32%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center over the 8 months to September 2026.
How is the South Boston Waterfront 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.