United States
Philadelphia makes sense if
- You want the broader career options in this comparison.
- You want the deeper culture and food scene.
Philadelphia vs Raleigh-Durham
Philadelphia is a dense city with a strong English-language job market and urban street life, though safety deserves close attention. Raleigh-Durham has a deep tech and life-sciences economy around universities, but daily life spreads into leafy suburbs and requires driving.
The grey shape is all 283 cities; each row says whether lower or higher is better. Ratings out of 10 are our reviewed estimates; the rest is published data. How we measure
The choice in one minute
Raleigh-Durham makes sense if
- A calmer day-to-day safety profile matters most to you.
- You value stronger public spaces and everyday city life.
What matters to you
Set how much each area counts. The ranking updates as you go. Climate and values are left out because there is no better or worse there, only your taste.
Money
Nature & outdoors
City life
Safety & health
Work & family
Moving & settling in
- 1Philadelphia61
Leads on city life and moving & settling in; stands out for life without a car and public transport.
- 2Raleigh-Durham61
Leads on safety & health; stands out for clean, cared-for streets and winter comfort.
Scores out of 100, averaged from the areas you weighted. For a ranking built around your own situation, take the quiz.
Side by side
Money
Rent on a new lease, everyday prices and tax.
Section score out of 100
Philadelphia66Raleigh-Durham66
One-bedroom rent
Per month, new lease, citywide
$135/mo$2,444/mo
- $1,485/mo
- $1,485/mo
Rent as share of local pay
One-bedroom rent vs. typical net local pay
21%120%
- ~31%
- ~31%
Everyday prices
Excluding rent · United States = 100
25131
- 100
- 100
Income tax + social contributions
Range: average-wage rate to top marginal rate; the dot marks its midpoint
0%46%
- 24–44%
- 24–44%
Climate
The year month by month. Whether it suits you is yours to judge.
Solid line: average daytime high. Dashed: night-time low. Point at the chart for any month; point at a city name to shade its range.
Bright days
Under 80% cloud and under 1 mm rain
30 days347 days
- 209 days
- 214 days
Muggy days
Days that feel sticky (dew point)
0 days365 days
- 82 days, leads
- 125 days
Air pollution
Annual mean fine particles (PM2.5)
4.6 µg/m³84 µg/m³
- 7.5 µg/m³
- 8 µg/m³
Nature & outdoors
How easily you get to water, mountains and green space.
Section score out of 100
Raleigh-Durham52Philadelphia51
Beach & sea
110
- 5/10
- 5/10
Mountains
110
- 4/10, leads
- 3/10
City parks
110
- 7/10
- 7/10
Weekend escapes
110
- 7/10
- 7/10
City life
Getting around on foot, food, culture and the feel of the streets.
Section score out of 100
Philadelphia72Raleigh-Durham66
Walkability
110
- 8/10, leads
- 2/10
Public transport
110
- 8/10, leads
- 2/10
Restaurants
110
- 9/10, leads
- 7/10
Public spaces
110
- 8/10, leads
- 7/10
Safety & health
Crime, how safe people feel, and the care you would get.
Section score out of 100
Raleigh-Durham61Philadelphia55
Homicide rate
Per 100,000 residents per year
0.247
- 14.7
- 4.9, leads
Feels safe day to day
110
- 5/10
- 7/10, leads
Healthcare quality
110
- 10/10
- 10/10
English-speaking care
110
- 10/10
- 10/10
Work & family
Jobs, working culture, schools and raising kids.
Section score out of 100
Raleigh-Durham63Philadelphia60
Job market
110
- 8/10
- 8/10
Jobs in English
110
- 10/10
- 10/10
Work–life balance
110
- 3/10
- 4/10, leads
Schools
110
- 7/10
- 7/10
Moving & settling in
Visas, language, paperwork and staying connected.
Section score out of 100
Philadelphia61Raleigh-Durham57
Visa & residence difficulty
Typical case; your passport changes this
110
- 9/10
- 9/10
Language barrier
For an English speaker
110
- 1/10
- 1/10
Openness to newcomers
110
- 7/10
- 7/10
Flight connections
110
- 8/10, leads
- 7/10
Society & values
Where each city sits. There is no right end of these scales.
Social attitudes
ConservativeLiberal
- 9/10
- 7/10
LGBTQ+ acceptance
LowHigh
- 8/10
- 8/10
Diversity
HomogeneousDiverse
- 8/10
- 7/10
Religion in public life
ReligiousSecular
- 7/10
- 6/10
Life in each city
Daily life
Philadelphia
Philadelphia's mixed-use neighbourhoods and low car dependence make ordinary errands practical. The city feels substantial without forcing a frantic pace.
Raleigh-Durham
Walkability is poor and a car is effectively mandatory; transit barely registers. The flip side is space, with generous houses and well-kept residential neighbourhoods that draw people who want room to spread out.
Safety
Philadelphia
Philadelphia carries a homicide rate that is high for a major US city, well above New York or Boston, and perceived safety, night safety and street crime all read below those peers. Traffic safety is middling.
Raleigh-Durham
A safe place by US standards, with low homicide rates and residents who generally feel secure day and night. Property and petty crime exist but stay moderate.
Work and healthcare
Philadelphia
Philadelphia offers one of the deeper job markets in this comparison, with strong industry fit, dense professional networks, and English-language work widely available. The city is a renowned medical hub with top hospitals, strong emergency care and care delivered entirely in English.
Raleigh-Durham
Career prospects are especially strong in Raleigh-Durham, with a deep job market, low unemployment, and a well-developed professional network. Major university hospitals make for genuinely strong clinical quality and reliable emergency care.
Culture and public life
Philadelphia
The museum and events scene is a real highlight, backed by a strong music and arts world, a serious restaurant range and good vegan options. Free historic sites and a cost of living well below New York's mean a lot of the city's life comes cheap.
Raleigh-Durham
A solid, growing food and coffee scene, with good restaurants, strong cafes and a respectable museum and music offering for its size. Free university culture, lectures and events soften that, and costs stay moderate.
Summary
Philadelphia suits someone seeking density, career options and cultural life, with careful neighbourhood planning. Raleigh-Durham is the more suburban choice for university-linked professional work and a lower-key pace, if car dependence is fine.
Read on
Which of these fits you?
These numbers treat everyone the same. The quiz weighs them by your budget, climate taste, family and work, and ranks all 283 cities for you.