Best Dog Friendly Cities Us – Owning a dog comes with many rewards and challenges. Deciding which city is perfect for you and your pup can be difficult because it depends on so many factors. We’ve created a comprehensive index of dog-friendly cities to help you decide which US city is best for a happy and healthy dog.
It takes a lot to be a good dog owner. Ensuring your puppy is well trained, safe, socialized and cared for can make a big difference in the quality of life for you and your pet.
Best Dog Friendly Cities Us
To conduct this study, we first identified cities to include based on the availability of data for the 50 largest cities in all three size classes.
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It is important to identify a range of city sizes because comparing smaller cities (e.g. Waco, TX) to larger cities (e.g. Chicago, IL) is like comparing apples to oranges. Each level of city size will have very different access to amenities, exercise options, and costs (see below).
Dog parks (0 to 100 points). We obtained the dog park data from the Trust for Public Land website. We used the ParkServe search feature to pull data from the 150 cities we surveyed and created their index by calculating the number of dog parks per capita.
Dog-Friendly Trails (0 to 100 points): For trail information, visit the hiking and trails website AllTrails. We specifically searched for the city and set the filter to “dog-friendly trails” to get the data for this metric.
Dog-friendly hotels (from 0 to 100 points):
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Dog-Friendly Restaurants (from 0 to 100 points): Using BringFido.com’s directory, we were able to find dog-friendly restaurants in each city and then calculate them per capita.
Dog-Friendly Rentals (0 to 100 points): We search Realtor.com rental data to find the latest information on dog-friendly houses and apartments for rent in every city. We calculate the data per capita (100,000 inhabitants).
Pet caregiver (0 to 100 points). We used the Sittercity directory to determine the number of dogs available per capita in each city.
Cost of dog insurance (0 to 100 points). We collect data on dog insurance premiums by searching the Figo website. We standardized the data by creating a composite litter with a constant insurance rate (male, two years old, 90% coverage, $500 reduced with $5,000 benefit).
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These cities are the best in every state when it comes to dog ownership. They have shown exceptional commitment to allowing dogs access to public lands, making apartment and hotel rentals easier for dog owners, paying insurance costs, and more. Keeping your dog healthy requires regular exercise, regular vet visits, the right type of dog supplies, and a safe home for your pup.
Access to dog parks is one of the best ways for dogs to socialize and exercise, which is important for their well-being. Alexandria, Virginia, leads the competition with nearly twice as many dog parks per capita as the next best city, Boise, Idaho.
Boise leads the pack with the most dog-friendly trails per 100,000 residents. AllTrails lists 9,778 dog-friendly trails in the United States, including 105 in Boise alone. Access to safe, fun outdoor spaces is good for your dog’s physical and mental health.
Pet-friendly hotels reflect the overall culture of dog accessibility in a community. It is also great for travelers who want to travel with their pets. Metairie, LA took first place with a total of 97 pet-friendly hotel options, which is quite a lot for a population of just 142,000 residents.
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Just like pet-friendly hotels, restaurants that allow dogs typically have a policy of welcoming both pets and non-pets. Allowing dogs to visit local areas means less time alone at home and more socialization and entertainment. There are 379 pet-friendly restaurants in Orlando, Florida.
For many dog owners or future dog owners, not being able to find pet-friendly rental accommodation can be a huge burden. However, this is less of an issue in Chicago, which has an impressive 437.80 dog-friendly rentals per 100,000 residents. Residents of the Windy City should have little trouble finding good housing for their pets.
Moving out of town or out of state can be difficult if you don’t have a reliable pet sitter. Knowing that there are a variety of high-quality, professional and reliable pet care options takes the pressure off pet owners. Jersey City, New Jersey and Yonkers, New York have the highest proportions of pets, likely due to such a large portion of the tri-state area.
Due to the different costs associated with dog ownership, pet insurance can vary greatly depending on where you live. Knowing that you will likely need to consider these costs over the course of your dog’s life helps with budgeting, but also keeps costs in check if a serious health issue or emergency arises. Tulsa, OK, has the lowest pet insurance rates on our list, but several Texas cities also rank in the top 10.
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This is because the cost of pet insurance varies depending on breed and age. But why is there such a price range between American cities? A healthy, two-year-old golden retriever insured in Albuquerque, New Mexico would cost about $22.83/month, while a similar dog in New York City would cost about $62.35/month.
The main reason pet insurance varies from city to city is due to differences in veterinary costs and the general cost of living in the city. As the cost of living increases, so do the costs of renting or leasing a veterinary hospital building, veterinary staff labor costs, supplies and other related costs. That makes sense, but it dramatically increases the cost of owning a dog in many major U.S. cities, and potential owners must factor in the additional costs over the lifespan of the pet.
Is a free insurance comparison service currently focused on pet, travel and life insurance. We spent months researching the best dog insurance companies in every state in the US. You can learn more about your state by clicking on the links below.
Alabama | Alaska Arizona | Arkansas California | Colorado Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia |: Hawaii | Idaho Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky Louisiana | Maine | Maryland Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire |: New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina |: North Dakota |: Ohio | Oklahoma Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island |: South Carolina |: South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington West Virginia | Wisconsin WyomingPartner Content: This content was created by a Dow Jones business partner from a separate editorial team. Links in this article may result in a commission. Learn more
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Written by Christina Zagame. Written by Christina Zagame. Author Christina Zagame is a multimedia journalist who covers a wide range of topics including news, finance, environment and solar technology. His work has appeared on numerous platforms including ABC and NBC affiliates, EcoWatch and Ramsey Solutions.
Edited by Stephanie Horan. Edited by Stephanie Horan. Senior Data Analyst. Stephanie Horan is a senior data analyst specializing in personal finance trends and home buying gap analysis. As a Certified Personal Finance Educator (CEPF®), he is passionate about translating data into digestible financial insights for a broad audience.
When choosing where to live, you likely consider factors such as proximity to friends and family, your career, affordability and entertainment options. But the 65 million Americans who own dogs may also be wondering where their dog wants to live.
The guide team determined which U.S. cities are the most dog-friendly by considering factors that matter most to dogs, such as walkability and pet-friendly restaurants. We also looked at a criterion that your dog may not like, but is definitely important: access to affordable veterinary care.
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For an added bonus and a bit of fun, we’ve included a separate city ranking for the number of cubicles per capita (aka Starbucks locations) and even the number of squirrels per square mile. Note: This is not included in our top cities ranking.
Read on to find out where dogs live their best lives, and check out our methodology section below to learn more about how we obtained this data.
We’ve rounded up the 98 largest cities in the United States. compete against each other on some dog-friendly characteristics. The map below shows the five best and worst cities for dogs.
The best and worst cities for dogs were determined based on several factors important to dogs and their owners and divided into three categories: dog friendliness, dog walkability and animal health.
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The dog-friendliness rating includes the number of pet-friendly activities, dog-friendly restaurants and dog-friendly homes per capita. The assessment of the dog’s walking ability includes the number of days in the year
