Americans love their pets, there’s no doubt about it.
We treat our furry friends just like family, taking them out to dinner with us, traveling, and spending lots of our hard-earned money to keep them healthy and happy.
If you’re a pet parent, no doubt you’d love to live in an area that is pet-friendly. What exactly is “pet-friendly”, you ask? It’s an area that offers amenities like:
- Plenty of dog parks
- Low-cost veterinary care
- Pet-centric businesses
- Pet-friendly restaurants
- Low premiums for pet insurance
- Plenty of animal shelters
Recently WalletHub did an in-depth analysis to determine the creature-friendliness of the 100 largest cities in the United States. Here’s what they found.
Top 10 Pet-Friendly Cities in the US
1. Scottsdale, AZ
2. Orlando, FL
3. San Diego, CA
4. Austin, TX
5. Phoenix, AZ
6. Tampa, FL
7. Cincinnati, OH
8. Seattle, WA
9. Las Vegas, NE
10. Irvine, CA
Take a look at the interactive map below to see the 100 cities featured, from first to worst.
Here are some interesting statistics that the study found:
- Columbus, Ohio, has the lowest average veterinary care costs (per visit), $33.25, which is 2.5 times lower than in New York, the city with the highest at $84.47.
- Miami, Florida, has the most veterinarians (per square root of population), 88 times more than in Newark, New Jersey, the city with the fewest.
- St. Paul, Minnesota, has the lowest monthly dog-insurance premium, $33.71, which is 2.4 times lower than in New York, the city with the highest at $80.78.
- San Francisco, California, has the most pet businesses (per square root of population), 23 times more than in Laredo, Texas the city with the fewest.
The infographic below will show you how the cities compared when looking at specific elements of pet-friendliness.
If you’re a pet parent, this is great information to have if you’re considering a move to another part of the country. It’s also helpful if you’re planning a vacation and would like to take your pet along with you.
My city ranks 74th on WalletHub’s list, falling from 53rd last year. That’s a disappointment. Although there are a lot of dog-friendly things to do in Indianapolis, clearly there’s lots of work to be done to make it a true mecca for pets and their families.
Where does your city rank on this list? Tell me about it in a comment below, or come join the conversation on The Everyday Dog Mom Facebook page.
By the way, have you joined my PRIVATE Facebook group for dog moms? I’d love for you to check it out and join us today!
Cathy armato says
August 21, 2017 at 12:08 pmOMG, this is so fantastic! We live in NOT so dog friendly Long Island NY and plan to move within 4 years – one of the main reasons we want to move is that it’s just not dog friendly enough for us here! After having lived in Phoenix AZ for 9 years we were spoiled, we know what a truly dog friendly city should be like and we Miss it! I’m not surprised to see Phoenix & Scottsdale on the list as # 1 and 2, they are such great cities, especially for pet owners. Thanks so much for sharing.
Love & Biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them
McKenzie Allyshia says
October 7, 2018 at 1:11 pmI am loving all of the dog friendly cities! Unfortunately, we do not live in the most dog friendly but we did recently get a dog park. It isn’t the nicest… in fact it is rather muddy, but at least it is there. Earlier this year we went to Port Townsend, WA and found a handful of dog friendly restaurants and had so much fun bringing our pup in!