Philadelphia v. Phoenix (better, rates, largest, crime rate)

[Penna76]

These two cities are fighting neck and neck for the number 5 spot as America's 5th largest city.

It will be interesting to see the 2020 Census data to see which one takes the spot.

With that, what city wins out?

Phoenix is far more suburban and new, but to many that is more attractive. But not for everyone.

Philadelphia is far more dense and urban, and old, and some dislike that, while others value the charm and dense grit.

Which one matches out as the better 5th largest city in America?

Based on:

COL:
QOL:
Suburbs:
Geographic Proximity:
Transportation:
K-12:
Higher Eds:
Economy:
Arts/Culture:
Things to do:
Shopping:
Sports:
Food/Cuisine:
Outdoors:
Climate:
Crime:
Downtowns:
Scenery:
Most success in next decade:
Favorite thing about Phoenix:
Favorite thing about Philadelphia:
Least favorite thing about Phoenix:
Least favorite thing about Philadelphia:

[cpomp]

To start, both are very different, the Philadelphia area is a very densely packed and populated city+metro, unlike Phoenix. And Phoenix will surpass Philadelphia in population (if it hasn't already), but I find that irrelevant due to the geographic size difference of each city.

Anyways, my take...

COL: Phoenix. Philadelphia across the board is a more expensive place to live.

QOL: Tough one. I would say Philadelphia due to a larger variety of living options and lifestyles throughout the metro. But Phoenix provides a high QOL for a very specific way of living.

Suburbs: Philadelphia easily

Geographic Proximity: Philadelphia

Transportation: Philadelphia

K-12: Philadelphia

Higher Eds: Philadelphia easily

Economy: Philadelphia. I don't know too much about the Phoenix economy, but the Philadelphia region has a very large and diverse economy, much higher GDP and GDP per capita.

Arts/Culture: Philadelphia easily

Things to do: Philadelphia

Shopping: This is close, but edge to Philadelphia. Both have a major premier mall (King of Prussia & Fashion Square), but Philadelphia city + metro contain decent shopping and an eclectic array of boutiques. I don't see as much of that in Phoenix outside of Scottsdale.

Sports: Philadelphia easily

Food/Cuisine: Philadelphia (Phoenix is still solid).

Outdoors: Tie (so different, but both offer great outdoor lifestyles).

Climate: I prefer Philadelphia, but I assume Phoenix will win for most people. It gets too ungodly hot for me.

Crime: Philadelphia? I know Philly has crime problems, but doesn't Phoenix city+metro have rather high crime rates across the board?

Downtowns: Philadelphia easily

Scenery: Both are stunning in their own right. But I will say Phoenix for the unique desert atmosphere.

Most success in next decade: Philadelphia. Philadelphia was entering a renaissance before Covid and has all the traits to shine as a major national / international city. Phoenix will keep growing and probably attract more Californians, but I don't see an argument for more success than Philadelphia.

Favorite thing about Phoenix: The general desert atmosphere and Camelback hikes.

Favorite thing about Philadelphia: Architecture / metro design, so much history and unique characteristics throughout the metro.

[PhilliesPhan2013]

As someone who was raised in and still lives in Philly, and who has spent a good amount of time in The Valley (my girlfriend's parents are from the West Valley), Philadelphia is the answer to almost all of these prompts. While Phoenix has us beat in crime, outdoors, climate, and scenery, Philadelphia and its MSA/CSA are on an entirely different playing field. Philly also has the advantage of being in the center of the Northeast Corridor, and is a short train ride away from other great cities. While going down the Shore is anywhere from a 1:30-3 hour drive (depending on the Shore point), San Diego and LA are at least a six hour drive away from Phoenix.

Don't get me wrong, I really do like Phoenix. I love the mountains (especially Thunderbird and North Mountains), climate, food, and the desert flora and fauna. People also tend to be much nicer in The Valley than they are in the Northeast. Even with all of this taken into consideration, Philly still dominates. The fact that I have at least three museums, six markets, a ton of restaurant options, Center City, and Fairmount Park within walking distance of my apartment is key. In Phoenix and other parts of The Valley, it's hard to find truly walkable communities. In fact, walking on streets within The Valley ranges from being a weird experience to downright dangerous. Have you ever tried crossing 75th and Bell? That can be a scary experience!

[march2]

COL: Phoenix
QOL: Phoenix. But overall and my personal feel for each area in my visits.
Suburbs: Phoenix
Geographic Proximity: Philly
Transportation: Philly
K-12: Subjective. A kid can get a great education in either if parents are involved.
Higher Eds:Philly
Economy:Phoenix. As someone who has worked with this type of data for 35 years, too many give GDP much, MUCH more weight than it deserves. It matters for sure, but job expansion/growth and buying power (both consumer and industrial) are way more important for overall economic health. Phoenix wins pretty handily here, trust me.
Arts/Culture:Philly
Things to do: Overall, Philly
Shopping: Phoenix
Sports: Philly
Food/Cuisine: Tie
Outdoors: Phoenix
Climate: Tie for me. Both have pros and cons.
Crime: Phoenix by a nose
Downtowns: Philly
Scenery:Phoenix
Most success in next decade: Phoenix
Favorite thing about Phoenix: Sunny, economy, outdoors, I've always liked the residents.
Favorite thing about Philadelphia: Number and variety of things to do, its location, history.
Least favorite thing about Phoenix: W-A-Y too hot in the Summer. I don't like desert climates.
Least favorite thing about Philadelphia: One of the cities that's had rioting. I live in an area that hasn't seen that kind of thing, so having to live in an area with that kind of social chaos would be horrible for me. Residents aren't that friendly overall, at least in my personal experience.

Overall, I'd choose Phoenix to live. It's close, but (again, IMO) they just have a better balance of quality of life that Philly just doesn't have. People in Phoenix seem happier and friendlier than in Philly. To me, that's huge and is the tipping point. But both are good and I could see why someone would chose either.

[ccm123]

I pick Philadelphia.

[nadnerb]

Originally Posted by Penna76

These two cities are fighting neck and neck for the number 5 spot as America's 5th largest city.

It will be interesting to see the 2020 Census data to see which one takes the spot.

Based on:

COL:
QOL:
Suburbs:
Geographic Proximity:
Transportation:
K-12:
Higher Eds:
Economy:
Arts/Culture:
Things to do:
Shopping:
Sports:
Food/Cuisine:
Outdoors:
Climate:
Crime:
Downtowns:
Scenery:
Most success in next decade:
Favorite thing about Phoenix:
Favorite thing about Philadelphia:
Least favorite thing about Phoenix:
Least favorite thing about Philadelphia:

They really aren't neck and neck though. Phoenix passed Philly a few years ago and I can't see Philly catching up based on growth rates. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if San Antonio bumped Philly to the #7 spot in the 2020 census. I think Phoenix / San Antonio is a much more interesting competition for the #5 spot.

That said, Philly probably wins here. It beats Phoenix in downtown, cuisine, sports, things to do, arts and culture, geographic position, and transportation. Phoenix certainly holds its own as it wins in scenery, outdoors, economy, COL, QOL, and success in each decade. I can't speak for Philly but Phoenix also has great shopping options. I can't really speak to the other categories.

[P Larsen]

Philadelphia, hands down.

PHX has advantages in COL, scenery, outdoors. It's a place ruled by developers and the industries that support them; in the long run, development in the Salt River Valley is not terribly sustainable. Really hate the awfully passive-aggressive nature of many people in the SW, though I realize many of the worst culprits are emigres or snowbirds from the upper Midwest.

Would take Tucson in a heartbeat over PHX if it had to be a major SW metro for comparison.

[TedMosby]

Phoenix, hands down.

[Cyborg77]

Philly is more of a World Class city but Phoenix is most definitely set to pass Philadelphia in Population if it hasn't already. That alone puts Phoenix in rare company.

To be a top 5 US city in Population is a great feat.

[Muinteoir]

Phoenix's metro population still trails Philadelphia's by over 1M. Phoenix's city limits are quite expansive, and it includes what would be separate suburban municipalities in a typical Northeastern city. Metro population is a much more appropriate point of reference here.