When choosing a new place to live there are many relevant concerns for the human members of your family: what is the quality of the local schools? What job opportunities are available?
But if you have pets in your life – and more than 60% of Americans do – there are additional issues to take into account. This is especially true given that nearly all American pet owners, across every demographic background, consider their animal companions to be part of their family, according to 2023 Pew analysis.
WalletHub, a personal finance website, released an analysis of the country’s best and worst cities for pet owners. The rankings prioritized several factors – including outdoor pet friendliness, the budget required to care for a pet, and the overall health and wellness of pets.
Wallethub’s analysis compared the 100 largest cities in the United States in their performance across those three categories. The scores in each category were based on performance in 23 metrics, including veterinary care costs, animal trainers per capita, and the number of dog parks.
Data for the study was pulled from several sources, including Council for Community and Economic Research, Center for Neighborhood Technology, and the Animal Legal Defence Fund.
“The most pet-friendly cities aren’t just those where it’s cheapest to own an animal and take care of its health, although cost is definitely a major consideration,” said WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe, in a statement.
“Many factors contribute to a good environment for pets, from the availability of vets and pet-friendly stores to the prevalence of parks and how walkable each city is.”
Continue reading to learn more about the 10 most pet friendly cities in the U.S.
St. Louis is the tenth most pet friendly city in America. It received especially high marks for the affordability of pet ownership in the city.
Portland is the ninth most pet friendly city in America. It is the second-best city for outdoor pet friendliness in the country.
Cincinnati is the eighth most pet friendly city in America. It received especially high marks for pet health and wellness.
St. Petersburg is the seventh most pet friendly city in America. It received especially high marks for pet health and wellness.
North Las Vegas is the sixth most pet friendly city in America. It received a first place ranking in the pet affordability category.
Lexington-Fayette is the fifth most pet friendly city in America. It received a second place ranking in the pet affordability category.
Birmingham is the fourth most pet friendly city in America. It received especially high marks for its affordability and overall pet health.
Las Vegas is the third most pet friendly city in America. It received especially high marks for outdoor pet friendliness.
Tampa is the second most pet friendly city in America. It received a second place ranking in the pet health and wellness category.
Scottsdale is the most pet friendly city in America. It received a first place ranking in the pet health and wellness category.
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