Safety index · Boston · data through September 2026
Is South Boston safe?
South Boston sits at the safer end of Boston by reported crime. Its SafeRoute safety index is 67 out of 100 — 12 points above the citywide median of 55, ranking 6th of 25 Boston neighborhoods — based on 398 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 against other neighborhoods here, and cannot be read against a score in another city.
The largest reported category here is violent crime (19% 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 13% of severity-weighted reports fall overnight (midnight–6 a.m.).
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Violent crime | 74 · 19% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 47 · 12% | |
| Public order | 52 · 13% | |
| Other theft | 78 · 20% | |
| Burglary | 25 · 6% | |
| Shoplifting | 62 · 16% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from police incident timestamps.
Walking in South 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
- South Boston Waterfront83/100 · Low risk
- Leather District35/100 · Elevated
- Chinatown36/100 · Elevated
- South End31/100 · Elevated
- Downtown31/100 · Elevated
Common questions
Is South Boston safe at night?
Moderate overall (safety index 67/100). About 46% of severity-weighted incidents in South 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 South Boston?
Violent crime — 74 of 398 incidents (19%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center over the 8 months to September 2026.
How is the South 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. The scale is calibrated within Boston, so scores compare neighborhoods to each other and cannot be read against another city's.