I get asked about West Roxbury a lot, and the City of Boston publishes enough data to answer most of it. Everything below comes from the Planning Department’s Research Division and boston.gov.
Who owns, who rents
In the Research Division’s estimates as of January 1, 2025, West Roxbury has 14,588 housing units and 13,917 of them are occupied. Of those occupied homes, 9,488 are owner-occupied. That’s 68.2%, the highest owner-occupied share of any neighborhood in the City’s table, against 35.4% for Boston as a whole. The population estimate is 31,381.
The bedroom count
The same report breaks the housing stock down by bedrooms. Of all 14,588 units in West Roxbury, 7,282, or 49.9%, have three or more bedrooms, where the citywide share is 32.4%. Studios and one-bedrooms are 2,601 units, 17.8% of that same total, against 33.5% citywide. If you’re shopping for a house with more bedrooms than a typical Boston condo, this is one of the few parts of the city where that stock is common.
What the City says about it
Boston.gov keeps the description short. West Roxbury is in the southwest corner of the City, known for its civic activism and youth programs, with a suburban vibe, tree-lined streets and single-family homes. Centre Street is the main business district, with restaurants, banks and shops. Millennium Park, once a landfill, now has 100 acres of trails, ball fields and picnic areas.
What the tax bill looks like
Boston taxes residential property at a single citywide rate, so a West Roxbury house is taxed at the same $12.40 per thousand dollars of assessed value as a Back Bay condo for fiscal year 2026. The rate for a fiscal year appears on the third quarter bill, issued in late December, and the first two quarterly bills are estimates based on the prior year. Owners who live in the property as their principal residence can apply for the residential exemption, which saved qualified homeowners up to $4,353.74 in fiscal year 2026. Under a recent home rule petition, a deed recorded at the Suffolk County Registry of Deeds and occupied as a principal residence between January 1 and June 30, 2026 may qualify for fiscal year 2027, and the application deadline is April 1, 2027.
Want the numbers for a specific address? Send it over. Diana Kim, REALTOR®, eXp Realty.
Questions
Common questions
What percentage of West Roxbury homes are owner-occupied?
In the City of Boston Planning Department's estimates as of January 1, 2025, 9,488 of West Roxbury's 13,917 occupied housing units are owner-occupied, which is 68.2%, the highest share of any Boston neighborhood in the report. Citywide the share is 35.4%.
How big is West Roxbury?
The City estimates the population at 31,381 as of January 1, 2025, with 14,588 housing units. Of all 14,588, 7,282 units, or 49.9%, have three or more bedrooms, against 32.4% citywide.
What is the property tax rate in West Roxbury?
Boston applies one citywide residential rate, $12.40 per thousand dollars of assessed value for fiscal year 2026. Owners who live in the property as their principal residence can apply for the residential exemption, which saved qualified homeowners up to $4,353.74 in fiscal year 2026. The fiscal year 2027 application deadline is April 1, 2027.
Sources
- City of Boston Planning Department Research Division, Boston in Context: Neighborhoods, Boston's population by neighborhood as of January 1, 2025, Housing Tenure table (universe: housing units): West Roxbury has 9,488 owner-occupied units, 68.2% of its 13,917 occupied housing units, the highest owner-occupied share of any neighborhood in the table (Roslindale is next at 59.3%, Hyde Park 58.8%)
- City of Boston, West Roxbury neighborhood page (updated 10/30/25): West Roxbury is in the southwest corner of the City of Boston. Today, people know the neighborhood for its civic activism and youth programs. West Roxbury has a suburban vibe with its tree-lined streets and single-family homes. Centre Street is the main business district. It features restaurants, banks, and shops. Millennium Park, which was once a landfill, is another major attraction. Residents now enjoy 100 acres of trails, ball fields, and picnic areas
- City of Boston Assessing, How we tax your property: 2026 tax rate (per thousand dollars value), Residential $12.40; Commercial, industrial, personal property $26.96. The fiscal year starts on July 1 and ends on June 30. Property taxes are billed on a quarterly basis. The first and second quarter tax bills are estimates based on the prior year's property value and tax rate. The current year tax rate appears on your third quarter tax bill, which is typically issued in late December
- City of Boston Assessing, Residential exemption (page updated 7/1/26): Last fiscal year, the residential exemption saved qualified Boston homeowners up to $4,353.74 on their tax bill. We apply the exemption amount to your third-quarter tax bill that is issued in late December. For Fiscal Year 2027, you have until April 1, 2027, to file an application. A recent home rule petition expanded Boston's residential exemption: for Fiscal Year 2027 (July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027), homeowners who recorded a deed at the Suffolk County Registry of Deeds and occupy the property as their principal residence between January 1 and June 30, 2026, may be eligible. This expansion does not affect homeowners who owned and occupied their home on January 1, 2026; those homeowners still qualify. You can only qualify for a residential exemption for one property
Written by Diana Yeji Kim — REALTOR® at eXp Realty, serving Greater Boston in English, Korean, and Japanese.
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