Boston neighbourhood · Suffolk County
Jamaica Plain real estate
The greenest part of the city, wrapped around Jamaica Pond and the Arboretum, with a housing stock that ranges from Victorian singles to triple-deckers within a few streets of each other. That variety is unusual inside Boston.
Ask Devarshi about buying in Jamaica PlainWhat the housing stock actually is
Victorian and Colonial single-families near the Pond and Moss Hill, triple-deckers and two-families through Hyde Square and Egleston, and condominium conversions throughout.
More house and more outdoor space per dollar than anywhere comparable this close to downtown.
What it is like day to day
Centre Street runs the length of it with two distinct commercial stretches; Hyde Square, the Pond and the Arboretum are the anchors people organise their lives around.
What to check in Jamaica Plain specifically
Which side of the Orange Line you are on. The eastern side is a short walk to a station; the Pond side is a bus or a fifteen-minute walk, and that difference does not show on a map.
Getting to work
Orange Line at Green Street, Stony Brook, Jackson Square and Forest Hills · Commuter Rail at Forest Hills · MBTA bus
The tax position is Boston's
Jamaica Plain is a Boston neighbourhood, not a separate municipality, so the City of Boston's residential exemption and its April 1 deadline apply here exactly as they do citywide.
It goes to owner-occupants who file by 1 April, tested against ownership and occupancy on 1 January, and it is never applied automatically when you buy. The Boston buyer guide sets out the amounts and the caveats; the affordability calculator shows what it does to a monthly payment.
Who it suits, and who it does not
Suits buyers who want outdoor space and a mixed, long-settled neighbourhood. The Orange Line serves the eastern side well; the western side around the Pond is a walk or a bus from it.
Questions about buying in Jamaica Plain
What kind of homes are there in Jamaica Plain?
Victorian and Colonial single-families near the Pond and Moss Hill, triple-deckers and two-families through Hyde Square and Egleston, and condominium conversions throughout.
How do you get downtown from Jamaica Plain?
Orange Line at Green Street, Stony Brook, Jackson Square and Forest Hills, Commuter Rail at Forest Hills, MBTA bus. Which line serves a specific address matters more than the neighbourhood average — two addresses a few streets apart can have materially different commutes.
Does the Boston residential exemption apply in Jamaica Plain?
Yes. Every Boston neighbourhood is taxed by the City of Boston, so the residential exemption, its April 1 filing deadline and the January 1 occupancy test all apply here. It goes to owner-occupants who apply — it is not granted automatically when you buy, only one property per person qualifies, and an investor-owned unit does not qualify even in a building where the owner-occupied unit next door does.
Who does Jamaica Plain suit?
Suits buyers who want outdoor space and a mixed, long-settled neighbourhood. The Orange Line serves the eastern side well; the western side around the Pond is a walk or a bus from it.
What should I watch out for buying in Jamaica Plain?
Which side of the Orange Line you are on. The eastern side is a short walk to a station; the Pond side is a bus or a fifteen-minute walk, and that difference does not show on a map.
What does a budget buy in Jamaica Plain?
More house and more outdoor space per dollar than anywhere comparable this close to downtown.
What is Jamaica Plain actually like to live in?
Centre Street runs the length of it with two distinct commercial stretches; Hyde Square, the Pond and the Arboretum are the anchors people organise their lives around.
Sources
Every figure on this page is reproduced from the source listed against it, for orientation rather than as advice. Massachusetts fiscal years roll on 1 July and municipalities republish on their own schedules, so confirm anything you plan to rely on before you rely on it.
Last verified .
Thinking about buying in Jamaica Plain?
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