The Phillies are facing off against the Astros in the World Series this year, starting off with Game 1 in Houston on Friday.
The Astros are the early favorites, and a Houston victory could add another entry in the handful of one-ups the Texas city already has on Philadelphia, statistically speaking — like a bigger population, shorter commute times, or number of NASA outposts (they have one, we don’t).
But Philly flourishes in underdog positions, and if we win, we could add it to our collection of comparably great stuff — a higher Walk Score, lower rents, and, as one person pointed out on Twitter, a lot more Wawas.
Philadelphia and Houston are the fourth- and sixth-biggest cities in the U.S., and each has different things going for it beyond having championship baseball teams this year (other years… well, that’s a different story).
How do they stack up? Here are some fast facts that offer a glimpse into some of the things that make each city unique, along with what the two have in common.
History
Founded: Philadelphia – 1682; Houston – 1836
Name origin:
- Philadelphia – The Greek words “phileo” (love) and “adelphos” (brother), combined by William Penn
- Houston – Named for Sam Houston, a leader in the Texas Revolution and later a U.S. Senator
City nicknames:
- Philadelphia – Philly, The City of Brotherly Love, The Birthplace of America, The Quaker City, The City That Loves You Back
- Houston – Space City, Bayou City, H-Town, Hustle Town, Crush City
Size
Population (2020 census): Philadelphia – 1,603,797; Houston – 2,304,580
Population ranking among U.S. cities: Philadelphia – 6th; Houston – 4th
Land area: Philadelphia – 134 square miles; Houston – 640 square miles
People per square mile: Philadelphia – 11,937; Houston – 3,598
People
Racial/ethnic demographics:
- Philadelphia – 39.3% white alone, 41.4% Black alone, 0.3% American Indian / Alaska Native alone, 7.4% Asian alone, 0% Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander alone, 4.3% two or more races, 15.1% Hispanic or Latino, 34.1% Non-Hispanic white alone
- Houston – 51.5% white alone, 22.8% Black alone, 0.3% American Indian / Alaska Native alone, 6.9% Asian alone, 7.0% two or more races, 44.5% Hispanic or Latino, 24.1% Non-Hispanic white alone
Residents who speak a language other than English at home: Philadelphia – 23.4%; Houston – 48.4%
Residents born outside of the United States: Philadelphia – 14.3%; Houston – 28.9%
Veterans (2016-2020): Philadelphia – 56,232; Houston – 69,023
People over 65: Philadelphia – 14.4%; Houston – 11.0%
Work and economy
Median household income (2016-2020): Philadelphia – $49,127; Houston – $53,600
Top 5 regional employers:
- Philadelphia metro area – University of Pennsylvania / Penn Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University / Jefferson Health, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, The Giant Company, Comcast Corporation
- Houston metro area – H-E-B Grocery Company, Houston Methodist, Memorial Hermann Health System, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Walmart
Mean travel time to work (2016-2020): Philadelphia – 33.4 minutes; Houston – 27.6 minutes
Regional unemployment rate (August 2022): Philadelphia area – 4.5%; Houston area – 4.6%
Politics and government
Mayor: Philadelphia – Jim Kenney (Democrat); Houston – Sylvester Turner (Democrat)
County: Philadelphia – Philadelphia County (same as city boundaries); Houston – Harris County (larger than just the city)
City Council structure:
- Philadelphia – 17 seats (10 district, 7 at-large)
- Houston – 16 seats (11 district, 5 at-large)
City Council current party control:
- Philadelphia – 10 Democrats, 2 Republicans, 1 Working Families Party, 4 vacant
- Houston – 11 Democrats, 5 Republicans (though city-level elections are officially nonpartisan)
2020 presidential county voting breakdown:
- Philadelphia County – 81.4% Biden/17.9% Trump
- Harris County – 56.0% Biden/42.7% Trump
Housing
Median gross rent (2016-2020): Philadelphia – $1,084; Houston – $1,086
Median owner-occupied home value (2016-2020): Philadelphia – $171,600; Houston – $186,800
Number of homes sold in September 2022: Philadelphia – 1,309 (-21.1% year-over-year); Houston – 2,310 (-20.6% year-over-year)
Median sale price of a home in September 2022: Philadelphia – $255,000 (-1.9% year-over-year); Houston – $310,000 (+6.9% year-over-year)
Cityscape
Walk Score/Transit Score/Bike Score: Philadelphia – 75/67/67; Houston – 47/36/49
Acres of park land: Philadelphia – 10,794 (13% of city area); Houston – 44,480 (12% of city area)
Tallest building: Philadelphia – Comcast Technology Center (60 stories / 1,121 ft.); Houston – JP Morgan Chase Tower (75 stories / 1,049 ft.)
Weather
Average temperature in January 2022: Philadelphia – 30.7°F; Houston – 54.9°F
Average temperature in July 2022: Philadelphia – 81.2°F; Houston – 88.0°F
Education
Number of public schools (K-12): Philadelphia – 217; Houston – 288
High school graduates (of people ages 25+): Philadelphia – 85.7%; Houston – 79.7%
Four-year degree holders (of people ages 25+): Philadelphia – 31.2%, Houston – 34.3%
Sports and tourism
Major league professional sports teams:
- Philadelphia – Phillies (MLB), Eagles (NFL), Union (MLS), 76ers (NBA), Flyers (NHL)
- Houston – Astros (MLB), Texans (NFL), Dynamo (MLS), Rockets (NBA), Dash (NWSL)
Professional major league championship victories this millennium:
- Philadelphia – 2 (Phillies in 2008, Eagles in 2018)
- Houston – 3 (Dynamo in 2006 and 2007, Astros in 2017)
Lowest secondary market price for a World Series home game ticket: Philadelphia – $1,202; Houston – $730
Top 5 attractions, according to Tripadvisor:
- Philadelphia – Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Barnes Foundation, Reading Terminal Market, Independence Hall
- Houston – The Houston Museum of Natural Science, Minute Maid Park, Houston Museum of Fine Arts, Children’s Museum Houston, Houston Zoo
