Most Pet-Friendly Cities

Adam McCann, Financial WriterAug 9, 2022

Adam McCann, Financial Writer
Aug 9, 2022

To many of us, pets are family — even if they’re covered in fur, feathers or scales. Animal companionship is a great stress reliever, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Naturally, the nearly 90.5 million households in the U.S. that own pets want to live places where their beloved companions can enjoy long, healthy lives without breaking the bank. In 2021, pet ownership cost Americans $123.6 billion, according to the American Pet Products Association.

Years ago, pet owners had access to only a handful of businesses offering animal services and supplies. Petco and PetSmart were among the biggest names. But the market for pet businesses is growing to fill increasing consumer demand. For example, in 2021, the pet food industry reached a $108 billion global value. There are also new ways to buy goods for your animal, such as monthly subscription boxes.

But adding an animal to the family roster can be hard on the wallet. For popular choices like dogs and cats, a long list of expenses that include licenses, grooming and medical care can cost $1,000 - $3,000+ annually. Health insurance alone can exceed $200 per year for a dog, and it may not even be worth it. And if you rent an apartment with an animal, you can expect to pay hundreds, if not thousands, more for a pet deposit, fee and rent.

With animal parents in mind, WalletHub compared the pet-friendliness of the 100 largest U.S. cities across 23 key metrics. Our data set ranges from minimum pet-care provider rate per visit to pet businesses per capita to walkability.

Table of Contents

Main Findings

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Most Pet-Friendly Cities

Overall Rank*	City	Total Score	Pet Budget	Pet Health & Wellness	Outdoor Pet-Friendliness
1	Scottsdale, AZ	63.48	74	1	6
2	Tampa, FL	61.86	38	4	19
3	Portland, OR	59.46	59	9	4
4	St. Louis, MO	59.18	17	19	40
5	Cincinnati, OH	59.14	16	25	32
6	St. Petersburg, FL	58.91	38	5	38
7	Lexington-Fayette, KY	58.35	10	10	93
8	Las Vegas, NV	58.23	45	35	3
9	Colorado Springs, CO	58.11	54	11	17
10	Raleigh, NC	57.32	1	54	55
11	Omaha, NE	57.25	2	41	60
12	Orlando, FL	57.08	49	7	43
13	Plano, TX	56.99	81	2	27
14	Boise, ID	56.99	41	32	18
15	Birmingham, AL	56.54	21	20	87
16	Denver, CO	55.77	58	8	34
17	Austin, TX	55.52	60	3	62
18	Pittsburgh, PA	55.33	47	39	21
19	North Las Vegas, NV	55.22	20	78	16
20	Atlanta, GA	54.70	29	14	82
21	Baton Rouge, LA	54.50	14	16	95
22	Indianapolis, IN	54.38	13	18	98
23	Minneapolis, MN	54.38	43	40	28
24	Albuquerque, NM	54.27	27	89	8
25	Tulsa, OK	53.98	19	53	50
26	Miami, FL	53.98	52	13	59
27	Lincoln, NE	53.60	7	68	69
28	Seattle, WA	53.17	72	27	15
29	Columbus, OH	52.83	6	83	49
30	New Orleans, LA	52.82	37	37	52
31	San Diego, CA	52.03	95	6	11
32	Jacksonville, FL	51.94	23	61	68
33	Phoenix, AZ	51.85	67	33	25
34	Memphis, TN	51.83	4	74	91
35	Fort Worth, TX	51.83	36	26	84
36	Irvine, CA	51.77	96	12	2
37	El Paso, TX	51.48	18	85	44
38	Kansas City, MO	51.35	15	79	63
39	Nashville, TN	51.34	9	52	99
40	Madison, WI	51.22	61	47	29
41	Sacramento, CA	51.07	76	45	13
42	Houston, TX	51.03	51	36	57
43	San Antonio, TX	50.78	26	73	66
44	Lubbock, TX	50.77	28	59	86
45	St. Paul, MN	50.74	44	67	46
46	Hialeah, FL	50.67	62	24	54
47	Winston-Salem, NC	50.62	5	91	75
48	Louisville, KY	50.51	35	22	96
49	Henderson, NV	50.33	33	87	30
50	Long Beach, CA	50.32	88	28	14
51	Garland, TX	50.23	64	42	33
52	Greensboro, NC	49.99	8	70	72
53	Aurora, CO	49.52	63	17	85
54	Philadelphia, PA	49.24	57	72	31
55	Irving, TX	49.24	77	23	51
56	Reno, NV	49.21	40	56	76
57	Virginia Beach, VA	48.99	42	63	74
58	Wichita, KS	48.89	29	58	97
59	Los Angeles, CA	48.66	91	38	9
60	Riverside, CA	48.52	79	51	35
61	San Jose, CA	48.51	64	77	22
62	Fort Wayne, IN	48.41	11	64	100
63	Arlington, TX	48.39	71	49	37
64	Newark, NJ	48.34	78	31	47
65	Oakland, CA	48.31	93	46	5
66	Corpus Christi, TX	48.16	22	80	90
67	Oklahoma City, OK	48.08	31	75	83
68	Cleveland, OH	48.06	48	65	78
69	Washington, DC	48.03	89	62	7
70	Anchorage, AK	47.89	56	92	24
71	San Francisco, CA	47.77	99	50	1
72	Chesapeake, VA	47.77	50	84	41
73	Jersey City, NJ	47.09	87	29	42
74	Buffalo, NY	46.85	25	81	89
75	Anaheim, CA	46.82	92	30	26
76	Bakersfield, CA	46.72	66	76	36
77	Milwaukee, WI	46.65	24	93	80
78	Stockton, CA	46.58	46	95	48
79	Dallas, TX	46.33	82	34	58
80	Glendale, AZ	46.22	69	44	73
81	Toledo, OH	45.75	12	96	64
82	Gilbert, AZ	45.72	84	15	88
83	Charlotte, NC	45.55	55	57	94
84	Tucson, AZ	45.53	75	48	67
85	Boston, MA	45.49	70	60	65
86	Mesa, AZ	45.43	84	55	39
87	Norfolk, VA	44.75	53	88	71
88	Durham, NC	44.68	3	94	92
89	Laredo, TX	44.09	32	98	53
90	San Bernardino, CA	44.03	83	86	23
91	Fresno, CA	43.29	68	82	56
92	Fremont, CA	43.09	100	71	10
93	Chandler, AZ	43.08	84	43	79
94	Chula Vista, CA	42.80	90	69	45
95	Detroit, MI	42.54	34	99	77
96	Chicago, IL	42.17	98	21	81
97	New York, NY	42.13	94	90	12
98	Honolulu, HI	41.87	73	100	20
99	Baltimore, MD	39.30	80	97	61
100	Santa Ana, CA	38.85	96	66	70

Notes: *No. 1 = Most Pet-Friendly
With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

Veterinary Care Costs

Lowest

Lowest
1. Columbus, OH
2. Raleigh, NC
3. Corpus Christi, TX
4. Lincoln, NE
5. Kansas City, MO

Highest

Highest
T-87. Irving, TX
T-87. Garland, TX
T-87. Arlington, TX
90. New York, NY
T-91. Washington, DC
T-91. Plano, TX

Dog Insurance Premium

Lowest

Lowest
T-1. Indianapolis, IN
T-1. Fort Wayne, IN
T-3. Tulsa, OK
T-3. Oklahoma City, OK
T-5. Memphis, TN
T-5. Nashville, TN

Highest

Highest
T-92. Santa Ana, CA
T-92. New York, NY
T-92. San Francisco, CA
T-92. Irvine, CA
T-92. Los Angeles, CA

Veterinarians per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. Miami, FL
T-1. Orlando, FL
T-1. Tampa, FL
T-1. Las Vegas, NV
T-1. Cincinnati, OH

Fewest

Fewest
96. North Las Vegas, NV
97. Boston, MA
98. Jersey City, NJ
99. Laredo, TX
100. Newark, NJ

Pet Businesses per Capita

Most

Most
1. Reno, NV
2. Scottsdale, AZ
3. St. Petersburg, FL
4. Orlando, FL
5. Boise, ID

Fewest

Fewest
96. Los Angeles, CA
97. Detroit, MI
98. New York, NY
99. Laredo, TX
100. Newark, NJ

Dog-Friendly Restaurants per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. Orlando, FL
T-1. Atlanta, GA
T-1. Austin, TX
T-1. Portland, OR
T-1. San Diego, CA

Fewest

Fewest
96. Stockton, CA
97. Laredo, TX
98. San Bernardino, CA
99. Newark, NJ
100. North Las Vegas, NV

Dog Parks per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. New York, NY
T-1. Portland, OR
T-1. San Francisco, CA
T-1. Boise, ID
T-1. Las Vegas, NV

Fewest

Fewest
94. Tucson, AZ
95. Nashville, TN
96. Boston, MA
T-97. Hialeah, FL
T-97. Santa Ana, CA

Animal Shelters per Capita

Most

Most
1. St. Louis, MO
2. San Diego, CA
3. Phoenix, AZ
4. Chicago, IL
5. Los Angeles, CA

Fewest

Fewest
95. Newark, NJ
96. Henderson, NV
97. Santa Ana, CA
98. Anaheim, CA
99. Arlington, TX

Ask the Experts

For the right reasons, pet ownership can be very fulfilling. But it also can bring about challenges, especially financial ones. For advice to aspiring pet owners, we asked a panel of experts to weigh in with their thoughts on the following key questions:

What tips do you have for individuals and families looking to own pets without breaking the bank?
In evaluating the best and worst cities for pet lovers, what are the top five indicators?
What are the pros and cons of purchasing pet insurance? Do you recommend it?
What measures can local authorities take in order to make their cities more pet-friendly?

Ask the Experts

Benjamin L. Hart and Lynette A. Hart
Benjamin L. Hart, Ph.D., DVM, DACVB – Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Lynette A. Hart, Ph.D., MA – Professor and Vice Chair of Dept of Population Health and Reproduction, UC – Professor of Anthrozoology and Animal Behavior – University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
Read More

Philip Tedeschi
LCSW, Affiliated Faculty & Director Emeritus, Institute for Human-Animal Connection; Clinical Professor, Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver
Read More

Nancy R. Gee
Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry, Director Center for Human-Animal Interaction, Bill Balaban Chair in Human-Animal Interaction, VCU School of Medicine
Read More

Dawn Spangler
Director of Small Animal Clinical Skills & Associate Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University
Read More

Delcianna J. Winders
Associate Professor and Animal Law and Policy Institute Director – Vermont Law and Graduate School
Read More

Methodology

In order to determine the most pet-friendly places in America, WalletHub compared the 100 most populated cities across three key dimensions: 1) Pet Budget, 2) Pet Health & Wellness and 3) Outdoor Pet-Friendliness.

We evaluated those dimensions using 23 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for pets and their owners. Data for metrics marked with an asterisk (*) were available at the state level only. For metrics marked with an asterisk (**), the square root of the population was used to calculate the population size in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across cities.

Finally, we determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample. Our sample considers only the city proper in each case and excludes cities in the surrounding metro area.

Pet Budget – Total Points: 25

Veterinary Care Costs: Full Weight (~10.00 Points)
Minimum Pet-Care Provider Rate per Visit: Half Weight (~5.00 Points)
Dog Insurance Premium: Full Weight (~10.00 Points)

Pet Health & Wellness – Total Points: 50

Veterinarians per Capita**: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
Pet Caretakers per Capita**: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
Animal Trainers per Capita**: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
Pet Businesses per Capita**: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
Dog-Friendly Restaurants per Capita**: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
Dog-Friendly Shops per Capita**: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
Pet Meetup Groups per Capita**: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
Doggie Daycare & Boarding Establishments per Capita**: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
Pet-Friendliness of Rental Market: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of pet-friendly rental units.
Average Home Square Footage: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
Share of Single-Family Detached Homes: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
Share of Homes with One or Fewer Occupants per Room: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
Animal Shelters per Capita**: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
Strength of Animal Protection Laws: Full* Weight (~3.57 Points)
Note: This metric is based on the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s “Best & Worst States for Animal Protection Laws” ranking.

Outdoor Pet-Friendliness – Total Points: 25

Weather: Full Weight (~4.55 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Cities with the Best & Worst Weather” ranking.
Dog Parks per Capita**: Full Weight (~4.55 Points)
Parkland as Share of City Area: Full Weight (~4.55 Points)
Walk Score: Full Weight (~4.55 Points)
Dog-Friendly Trails per Capita**: Full Weight (~4.55 Points)
Dog Shows per Capita**: Half* Weight (~2.27 Points)

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Yelp.com, WalkScore.com, RentPath, Pets Best Insurance Services, Council for Community and Economic Research, Center for Neighborhood Technology, Sittercity, BringFido, InfoDog, Trust for Public Land, Animal Legal Defense Fund, Meetup, Realtor and WalletHub research.

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