2024’s Most Pet-Friendly Cities

PetsPhoto byPhoto by Bekka Mongeau

With over 86.9 million U.S. pet-owning households projected to spend $150.6 billion this year on their animal companions, the personal finance website WalletHub today released an in-depth report on 2024’s Most Pet-Friendly Cities, as well as expert commentary, to determine where Americans’ animal companions can enjoy the best quality of life without their owners breaking the bank.

WalletHub compared the pet-friendliness of the 100 largest cities across 23 key metrics. The data set ranges from veterinarian costs to the number of pet businesses per capita to walkability.

Most Pet-Friendly Cities

1. Scottsdale, AZ

2. Tampa, FL

3. Las Vegas, NV

4. Birmingham, AL

5. Lexington-Fayette, KY

6. North Las Vegas, NV

7. St. Petersburg, FL

8. Cincinnati, OH

9. Portland, OR

10. St. Louis, MO

Least Pet-Friendly Cities

91. Detroit, MI

92. Stockton, CA

93. Toledo, OH

94. Tucson, AZ

95. Fresno, CA

96. New York, NY

97. Honolulu, HI

98. Milwaukee, WI

99. Durham, NC

100. Boston, MA

Key Stats

• Columbus, Ohio, has the lowest average veterinary care costs (annual exam), which is 2.4 times lower than in Plano, Texas, the city with the highest.
  
• Fort Wayne, Indiana, has the lowest monthly dog-insurance premium, which is 3.3 times lower than in Los Angeles and Irvine, California, the cities with the highest.
  
• Scottsdale, Arizona, has the most pet businesses (per square root of the population), which is 8.2 times more than in Newark, New Jersey, the city with the fewest.

To view the full report and your city’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/most-pet-friendly-cities/5562