Climate
New York City logs 22 hot days a year to Philadelphia's 51 — New York City wins by 29. New York City also leads on frost days by 13.
New York City
Feels-like °C
Dinner outside
Philadelphia
Feels-like °C
Dinner outside
Cost of Living
Philadelphia is $1506/mo cheaperNew York City runs about $5,415/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Philadelphia's $3,909/mo — Philadelphia comes in $1,506 cheaper each month, roughly 39% less.
New York City
$5,415monthly · balanced
Philadelphia
$3,909monthly · balanced
Mobility
On mobility, New York City scores 3.6 vs Philadelphia's 3.4 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on walkability. Philadelphia still holds an edge on car efficiency.
Culture
New York City's culture score of 4.8 sits well above Philadelphia's 4.1, with the biggest gap on arts & culture.
Nature & Outdoors
New York City and Philadelphia score neck-and-neck on nature & outdoors (4.0 vs 4.2, 0–5 scale).
Safety
New York City's safety score is ~1.2× Philadelphia's — below average, while Philadelphia lands below average, with the biggest gap on walking safety. Philadelphia still holds an edge on flooding safety.
Career
New York City's career score of 5.0 sits well above Philadelphia's 4.2, with the biggest gap on career opportunities.
Social & Community
New York City's social & community score of 4.3 sits well above Philadelphia's 3.7, with the biggest gap on expat-first community.
Food & Dining
On food & dining, New York City scores 5.0 vs Philadelphia's 4.4 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on restaurant variety.
Family
On family, New York City scores 4.3 vs Philadelphia's 3.6 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on international schools.
Healthcare
On healthcare, New York City scores 3.5 vs Philadelphia's 2.1 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on private healthcare quality.
Air Quality
New York City averages 8.6 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus Philadelphia's 7.8 µg/m³ (good) — Philadelphia breathes ~10% cleaner air (0.8 µg/m³ lower).
New York City
Philadelphia
PM2.5 annual average
WHO classification
City Scale
Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.
New York City (14.2M) and Philadelphia (2.3M) are 6.2x in population — New York City is the larger metro, Philadelphia the smaller; on land area New York City spans roughly 4.6x more ground.
New York City is roughly 5.4x the scale of Philadelphia
Combined population & area comparison
New York CityPhiladelphiaCity Scale Rankings
New York City14.2M6.2xPhiladelphia2.3M1xNew York City3,031 km²4.6xPhiladelphia654 km²1xNew York City
Philadelphia
Who Thrives Here
New York City favours the ocean lover, while Philadelphia suits the crowd avoider. Both cities work well for the career builder.
Also compared
Frequently asked about New York City vs Philadelphia
▶Which is cheaper, New York City or Philadelphia?
▶How does the climate compare between New York City and Philadelphia?
▶Is New York City or Philadelphia safer?
▶Should I move to New York City or Philadelphia?
The best city depends on what matters to you
This comparison shows how New York City and Philadelphia stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.
Take the free diagnostic10 minutes, no account needed