Las Vegas vs Philadelphia

Philadelphia leads Las Vegas by 7 points on the CIRA Index, 66 to 59. Las Vegas grades better on 8 measures, Philadelphia on 9; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Las Vegas 59, Philadelphia 66
• OECD: Las Vegas 60, Philadelphia 66
• UN Tourism: Las Vegas 56, Philadelphia 72
• UNDRR: Las Vegas 67, Philadelphia 57

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Las Vegas 79, Philadelphia 60
• Economy and jobs: Las Vegas 81, Philadelphia 94
• Climate and hazards: Las Vegas 35, Philadelphia 50
• Water and environment: Las Vegas 31, Philadelphia 69
• Community and housing: Las Vegas 50, Philadelphia 58
• Access and continuity: Las Vegas 83, Philadelphia 75

Where Las Vegas is stronger

• Largest foreign market: 25.3 % of international arrivals or nights (metro figure) (Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) / Oxford Economics, 2025). Between 20 and 30: grade 2/4.
• Average length of stay: 3.2 nights per visitor (metro figure) (Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), Research Center FAQ (based on 2025 Visitor Profile Study), 2025). Between 2.8 and 3.5: grade 3/4.
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 80.3 % average annual occupancy (metro figure) (Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), Research Center FAQ & 2025 Year-End Summary, 2025). At or above 75: grade 4/4.
• Flood hazard: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
• Wastewater safely treated: 99 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (metro figure) (Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA), 2024). At or above 95: grade 4/4.
• Rent growth: -4.2 % change in rents over the last 12 months (Apartment List, Las Vegas, NV Rent Report (September 2026), August 2025–August 2026). At or below 3: grade 4/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A plan with named owners, operators and recovery funding (Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) Financial & Operations Policies, 2025). Grade 3/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source plus a reserve or stabilisation fund for downturns (Las Vegas Review-Journal / LVCVA FY 2026 Budget, FY 2025–2026). Grade 4/4.

Where Philadelphia is stronger

• Economic diversity: 74.2 % of employment outside accommodation, food, retail and transport (metro figure) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics / Philadelphia International Airport (PHL.org), 2025). Between 72 and 80: grade 3/4.
• Extreme heat days: 7 days a year at or above 35°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Between 5 and 15: grade 3/4.
• Tropical nights: 51.6 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Between 30 and 60: grade 2/4.
• 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.
• Tourism intensity: 11.2 visitor nights per resident per year (Visit Philadelphia & Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau / U.S. Census Bureau, 2023). Between 10 and 20: grade 2/4.
• Short-let density: 1.1 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (AirDNA & U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2024–2026). Between 1 and 2: 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

Las Vegas in full · Philadelphia in full

The CIRA Index ranking · City vs city · How the index works · CIRA Studio · Put your city in the pilot