AustinSeattle
City Stories Index · United States · 2026 edition

Austin vs Seattle

Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, Seattle leads 6–0. Character is a different question: Austin is the capitol and the music; Seattle is the rainy port of the northwest.

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VS
  • Places with a story

    spots where a route tells you what happened there

    Austin

    34

    Seattle

    46

    Seattle leads

  • How often you pass a story

    metres from one story to the next; fewer is better

    Austin

    272

    Seattle

    249

    Seattle leads

  • Historical figures

    real people you meet in its stories

    Austin

    3

    Seattle

    6

    Seattle leads

  • Instagrammability

    score /100, on the index’s fixed scale

    Austin

    15

    Seattle

    43

    Seattle leads

  • Group outings

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

    Austin

    28

    Seattle

    31

    Seattle leads

  • International visitors

    % of player reviews written in a foreign language

    Austin

    0

    Seattle

    4

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

AustinSeattle
9 places
arts & culture
14 places
10 places
legends & myths
7 places
1 place
parks & leisure
9 places
2 places
guilds & trade
5 places
5 places
industry & modern era
5 places

Austin scorecard →

The capitol and the music

Seattle scorecard →

The rainy port of the northwest