AustinPhoenix
City Stories Index · United States · 2026 edition

Austin vs Phoenix

Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, they tie 1–1 (3 within the tie margin). Character is a different question: Austin is the capitol and the music; Phoenix is the mural city.

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VS
  • Places with a story

    spots where a route tells you what happened there

    Austin

    34

    Phoenix

    21

    Austin leads

  • How often you pass a story

    metres from one story to the next; fewer is better

    Austin

    272

    Phoenix

    204

    Phoenix leads

  • Historical figures

    real people you meet in its stories

    Austin

    3

    Phoenix

    3

    Tie

  • Instagrammability

    score /100, on the index’s fixed scale

    Austin

    15

    Phoenix

    Austin leads

  • Group outings

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

    Austin

    28

    Phoenix

    27

    Tie

  • International visitors

    % of player reviews written in a foreign language

    Austin

    0

    Phoenix

    0

    Tie

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

AustinPhoenix
10 places
legends & myths
1 place
9 places
arts & culture
10 places
1 place
faith & churches
6 places
5 places
industry & modern era
4 places

Austin scorecard →

The capitol and the music

Phoenix scorecard →

The mural city