Safety index · Boston · data through October 2026
Is West End, Boston safe?
West End records more reported crime than most Boston neighborhoods. Its SafeRoute safety index is 47 out of 100 — 7 points below the citywide median of 54, ranking 17th of 25 Boston neighborhoods — based on 1,118 incidents reported to the Boston Police within 1 km of the neighborhood center over the 9 months to October 2026.
DATA THROUGH OCTOBER 2026 · 9 MONTHS OF DATA
The 0–100 scale is calibrated to Boston — a typical Boston neighborhood sits near 54. It ranks West End against other neighborhoods here, and cannot be read against a score in another city.
The largest reported category here is violent crime (20% of reports) — worth taking seriously when walking at night; the full mix is broken down below.
Incidents spread across the day here — roughly 32% of severity-weighted reports come in the evening (6 p.m.–midnight) and 18% overnight.
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Violent crime | 219 · 20% | |
| Shoplifting | 202 · 18% | |
| Other theft | 177 · 16% | |
| Drugs | 147 · 13% | |
| Public order | 127 · 11% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 69 · 6% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from police incident timestamps.
Is Boston safe at night? See which neighborhoods see the most reported crime after dark →
Walking in West End at night?
SafeRoute scores every walking route against the same official crime data on this page — and shows how much of each route runs on lit streets. Compare the routes and share your walk. Free, no account.
Get SafeRoute on the App StoreNearby areas
- Beacon Hill31/100 · Elevated
- North End51/100 · Moderate
- Downtown31/100 · Elevated
- Charlestown78/100 · Low risk
- Leather District34/100 · Elevated
Common questions
Is West End safe at night?
Elevated overall (safety index 47/100). About 50% of severity-weighted incidents in West 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 West End?
Violent crime — 219 of 1,118 incidents (20%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center over the 9 months to October 2026.
How is the West 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. The scale is calibrated within Boston, so scores compare neighborhoods to each other and cannot be read against another city's.