AustinNew York City
City Stories Index · United States · 2026 edition

Austin vs New York City

Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, New York City leads 4–2. Character is a different question: Austin is the capitol and the music; New York City is the island of arrivals.

Change the matchup

VS
  • Places with a story

    spots where a route tells you what happened there

    Austin

    34

    New York City

    369

    New York City leads

  • How often you pass a story

    metres from one story to the next; fewer is better

    Austin

    272

    New York City

    291

    Austin leads

  • Historical figures

    real people you meet in its stories

    Austin

    3

    New York City

    99

    New York City leads

  • Instagrammability

    score /100, on the index’s fixed scale

    Austin

    15

    New York City

    75

    New York City leads

  • Group outings

    of every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+

    Austin

    28

    New York City

    20

    Austin leads

  • International visitors

    % of player reviews written in a foreign language

    Austin

    0

    New York City

    2

    New York City leads

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, New York City in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.

AustinNew York City
9 places
arts & culture
122 places
1 place
parks & leisure
57 places
10 places
legends & myths
41 places
5 places
industry & modern era
40 places

Austin scorecard →

The capitol and the music

New York City scorecard →

The island of arrivals