Chicago vs Houston
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, Chicago leads 3–2. Character is a different question: Chicago is the city rebuilt after the fire; Houston is the city on the bayou.
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Places with a story
spots where a route tells you what happened there
Chicago
94
Houston
31
Chicago leads
How often you pass a story
metres from one story to the next; fewer is better
Chicago
293
Houston
340
Chicago leads
Historical figures
real people you meet in its stories
Chicago
11
Houston
1
Chicago leads
Instagrammability
score /100, on the index’s fixed scale
Chicago
37
Houston
43
Houston leads
Group outings
of every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+
Chicago
22
Houston
32
Houston leads
International visitors
% of player reviews written in a foreign language
Chicago
2
Houston
-
Chicago leads
| What we measure | Chicago | Houston | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 94 | 31 | Chicago |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 293 | 340 | Chicago |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 11 | 1 | Chicago |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 37 | 43 | Houston |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 22 | 32 | Houston |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | 2 | - | Chicago |
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: Chicago in orange, Houston in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
Chicago scorecard
The city rebuilt after the fire
Houston scorecard
The city on the bayou
