The city is divided into many neighborhoods. Alston/Brighton is populated mostly by students from nearby Boston University and recent graduates. The Back Bay, west of the Public Garden, is one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the United States—it includes the shops and restaurants on Newbury Street and the two tallest skyscrapers in Boston. Dorchester is probably the most diverse Boston neighborhood being populated with every ethnic group. South Boston, next to Dorchester, is primarily comprised of Irish-Americans. The South End, south of the Back Bay, is populated by gays, artists, yuppies, African Americans, and Hispanics—it is noted for its restaurant scene and bohemian atmosphere. Roxbury and Mattapan, located south of downtown, are populated largely by African Americans and Hispanics, as well as middle-class families priced out of more expensive neighborhoods. Other neighborhoods include: Bay Village, Beacon Hill, Charlestown, Chinatown, East Boston, Jamaica Plain, Fenway/Kenmore Sq., the Noth End, Hyde Park, Roslindale, and West Roxbury.

Boston is notable for having one of the most attractive and livable urban cores in the country; rents and housing prices are correspondingly high.