Is Pittsburgh Better Than Philadelphia? A New Study Says So

Philadelphia and Pittsburgh sport one of the most rabid cross-state rivalries in the country.

Whether it’s because the two cities are so far apart, or because they are so different, or because they’re engaged in a neverending war for the allegiance of the center of the state, which vacillates in proportion to the Penguins and the Flyers positions in the standings, no one can quite say.

But one thing is certain: there is little love lost between the City of Brotherly Love and the Steel City.

It’s the premise behind a new study produced by the consumer advocacy site NerdWallet, which attempted to compare Pennsylvania’s largest urban areas and determine, once and for all, which one comes out on top.

The unequivocal answer was Pittsburgh.

In three out of five categories that were analyzed - quality of public education, employment opportunities, sports fandom, commuting patterns and nightlife - Pittsburgh was rated better than Philadelphia.

The full results were as follows:

• Education: Pittsburgh
• Employment Opportunities: Pittsburgh
• Sports Fandom: Philadelphia
• Commuting: Pittsburgh
• Nightlife: Tie

Were it a hockey series, the Flyers would’ve lost, 1-3-1.

To come up with their numbers, NerdWallet drew from a wide diversity of sources.

For education, high school graduation rates, SAT scores, and standardized test scores were taken from Pennsylvania Department of Education data.

Employment was judged by the average unemployment rate from 2013 to 2015, and the average household income in 2013.

Fandom was determined by average attendance rates for the past five years in the NHL, NFL, and MLB.

To compare each city’s commute, the average annual hours of traffic delays and the percent of residents who commute during peak hours were analyzed, along with gas and parking prices.

For nightlife, the number of bars and the price of beer were the most important factors.

Things which were not included in the study included cultural history opportunities, museums, community events, and quality of nearby suburbs, all of which might favor Philadelphia.

What do you think? Does Philadelphia deserve this judgement?

Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook page, and vote on the NerdWallet site.

Photo courtesy NerdWallet.com