Houston vs Philadelphia
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, Philadelphia leads 3–1 (1 within the tie margin). Character is a different question: Houston is the city on the bayou; Philadelphia is the city where the republic began.
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Places with a story
spots where a route tells you what happened there
Houston
31
Philadelphia
58
Philadelphia leads
How often you pass a story
metres from one story to the next; fewer is better
Houston
340
Philadelphia
329
Tie
Historical figures
real people you meet in its stories
Houston
1
Philadelphia
13
Philadelphia leads
Instagrammability
score /100, on the index’s fixed scale
Houston
43
Philadelphia
90
Philadelphia leads
Group outings
of every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+
Houston
32
Philadelphia
24
Houston leads
International visitors
% of player reviews written in a foreign language
Houston
-
Philadelphia
1
Philadelphia leads
| What we measure | Houston | Philadelphia | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 31 | 58 | Philadelphia |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 340 | 329 | tie |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 1 | 13 | Philadelphia |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 43 | 90 | Philadelphia |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 32 | 24 | Houston |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | - | 1 | Philadelphia |
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: Houston in orange, Philadelphia in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
Houston scorecard
The city on the bayou
Philadelphia scorecard
The city where the republic began
