Safety index · Boston · data through July 2026
Is South End safe?
South End records a high level of reported crime for Boston. Its SafeRoute safety index is 31 out of 100 — 24 points below the citywide median of 55, ranking 25th of 25 Boston neighborhoods — based on 1,500 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.
Incidents spread across the day here — roughly 23% of severity-weighted reports come in the evening (6 p.m.–midnight) and 16% overnight.
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Violent crime | 272 · 18% | |
| Other theft | 382 · 25% | |
| Public order | 154 · 10% | |
| Drugs | 170 · 11% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 108 · 7% | |
| Vehicle crime | 126 · 8% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from police incident timestamps.
Walking in South End 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
- Bay Village34/100 · Elevated
- Chinatown37/100 · Elevated
- Back Bay42/100 · Elevated
- Leather District36/100 · Elevated
- Beacon Hill33/100 · Elevated
Common questions
Is South End safe at night?
Elevated overall (safety index 31/100). About 39% of severity-weighted incidents in South End 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 End?
Violent crime — 272 of 1,500 incidents (18%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center through July 2026.
How is the South End 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.