Boston vs Philadelphia
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, Philadelphia leads 4–2. Character is a different question: Boston is the cradle of revolution; Philadelphia is the city where the republic began.
Change the matchup
Places with a story
spots where a route tells you what happened there
Boston
46
Philadelphia
58
Philadelphia leads
How often you pass a story
metres from one story to the next; fewer is better
Boston
299
Philadelphia
329
Boston leads
Historical figures
real people you meet in its stories
Boston
4
Philadelphia
13
Philadelphia leads
Instagrammability
score /100, on the index’s fixed scale
Boston
60
Philadelphia
90
Philadelphia leads
Group outings
of every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+
Boston
6
Philadelphia
24
Philadelphia leads
International visitors
% of player reviews written in a foreign language
Boston
3
Philadelphia
1
Boston leads
| What we measure | Boston | Philadelphia | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 46 | 58 | Philadelphia |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 299 | 329 | Boston |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 4 | 13 | Philadelphia |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 60 | 90 | Philadelphia |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 6 | 24 | Philadelphia |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | 3 | 1 | Boston |
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: Boston in orange, Philadelphia in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
Boston scorecard
The cradle of revolution
Philadelphia scorecard
The city where the republic began
