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