City Stories Index · United States · 2026 edition
Philadelphia vs Phoenix
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, Philadelphia leads 3–2. Character is a different question: Philadelphia is the city where the republic began; Phoenix is the mural city.
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| What we measure | Philadelphia | Phoenix | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 58 | 21 | Philadelphia |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 329 | 204 | Phoenix |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 13 | 3 | Philadelphia |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 90 | — | Philadelphia |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 24 | 27 | Phoenix |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | 1 | 0 | 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: Philadelphia in orange, Phoenix in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
PhiladelphiaPhoenix
3 places
arts & culture10 places
9 places
crime & dark history1 place
7 places
faith & churches6 places
6 places
guilds & trade1 place
6 places
legends & myths1 place
4 places
industry & modern era4 places
Philadelphia scorecard →
The city where the republic began
Phoenix scorecard →
The mural city