Chicago vs Philadelphia

Chicago leads Philadelphia by 3 points on the CIRA Index, 69 to 66. Chicago grades better on 5 measures, Philadelphia on 6; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Chicago 69, Philadelphia 66
• OECD: Chicago 67, Philadelphia 66
• UN Tourism: Chicago 64, Philadelphia 72
• UNDRR: Chicago 66, Philadelphia 57

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Chicago 70, Philadelphia 60
• Economy and jobs: Chicago 92, Philadelphia 94
• Climate and hazards: Chicago 65, Philadelphia 50
• Water and environment: Chicago 50, Philadelphia 69
• Community and housing: Chicago 75, Philadelphia 58
• Access and continuity: Chicago 71, Philadelphia 75

Where Chicago is stronger

• Largest foreign market: 23 % of international arrivals or nights (Choose Chicago, Chicago Tourism Performance (Updated May 2025), 2024). Between 20 and 30: grade 2/4.
• Extreme heat days: 2.2 days a year at or above 35°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Flood hazard: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
• Wastewater safely treated: 98.1 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (country figure) (United Nations Statistics Division / WHO / UN-Habitat, SDG Global Database (Indicator 6.3.1), 2024). At or above 95: grade 4/4.
• Short-let density: 0.7 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (Inside Airbnb & U.S. Census Bureau ACS Profile, 2024). Between 0.5 and 1: grade 3/4.

Where Philadelphia is stronger

• Nights in the three busiest months: 28.4 % of annual nights (country figure) (World Economic Forum, TTDI 2026 (data: UN Tourism by United Nations World Tourism Organization), 2024, 2025 moving average). At or below 30: grade 4/4.
• Unemployment rate: 4.9 % of the labour force (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), July 2026). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Water scarcity: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 401.7 kg per resident per year (City of Philadelphia Department of Sanitation / U.S. Census Bureau, 2024). Between 350 and 450: grade 3/4.
• Green space: 20 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (City of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation / University of Vermont Spatial Analysis Lab (Philadelphia Tree Canopy Assessment), 2018). Between 20 and 30: grade 2/4.
• Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (PhilaPort and City of Philadelphia, 2026). At or above 4: grade 4/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• United States: #2 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• United States: #2 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Chicago in full · Philadelphia in full

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