Austin vs Chicago
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, Chicago leads 4–2. Character is a different question: Austin is the capitol and the music; Chicago is the city rebuilt after the fire.
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Places with a story
spots where a route tells you what happened there
Austin
34
Chicago
94
Chicago leads
How often you pass a story
metres from one story to the next; fewer is better
Austin
272
Chicago
293
Austin leads
Historical figures
real people you meet in its stories
Austin
3
Chicago
11
Chicago leads
Instagrammability
score /100, on the index’s fixed scale
Austin
15
Chicago
37
Chicago leads
Group outings
of every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+
Austin
28
Chicago
22
Austin leads
International visitors
% of player reviews written in a foreign language
Austin
0
Chicago
2
Chicago leads
| What we measure | Austin | Chicago | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 34 | 94 | Chicago |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 272 | 293 | Austin |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 3 | 11 | Chicago |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 15 | 37 | Chicago |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 28 | 22 | Austin |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | 0 | 2 | Chicago |
Differences under 5% count as ties. Sample sizes and definitions on the methodology page.
What their stories are about
How many places with a story each city has per theme: Austin in orange, Chicago in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
Austin scorecard →
The capitol and the music
Chicago scorecard →
The city rebuilt after the fire