Los Angeles vs Philadelphia
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, Philadelphia leads 2–1 (2 within the tie margin). Character is a different question: Los Angeles is the city of stars on the pavement; Philadelphia is the city where the republic began.
Change the matchup
Places with a story
spots where a route tells you what happened there
Los Angeles
52
Philadelphia
58
Philadelphia leads
How often you pass a story
metres from one story to the next; fewer is better
Los Angeles
290
Philadelphia
329
Los Angeles leads
Historical figures
real people you meet in its stories
Los Angeles
13
Philadelphia
13
Tie
Instagrammability
score /100, on the index’s fixed scale
Los Angeles
73
Philadelphia
90
Philadelphia leads
Group outings
of every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+
Los Angeles
24
Philadelphia
24
Tie
International visitors
% of player reviews written in a foreign language
Los Angeles
-
Philadelphia
1
Philadelphia leads
| What we measure | Los Angeles | Philadelphia | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 52 | 58 | Philadelphia |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 290 | 329 | Los Angeles |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 13 | 13 | tie |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 73 | 90 | Philadelphia |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 24 | 24 | tie |
| 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: Los Angeles in orange, Philadelphia in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
Los Angeles scorecard
The city of stars on the pavement
Philadelphia scorecard
The city where the republic began
