As our view about dogs have shifted over the years, — dogs are viewed more as a member of the family, rather that just a pet — so too has our responsibilities as owners.
Indeed, more than 90 percent of people think of their dog as part of the family, and with that, they are spending a lot more on their pooch. No longer are owners just investing the minimum in their four-legged friends — food, water and shelter. Rather, as the dog is now considered more of a “fur baby, people are forking over more money (think: grooming, insurance and toys), while communities are becoming more welcoming of dogs. So, when it comes to the best place to raise a dog, you want a pet-friendly city that is also affordable.
This week, WalletHub, a website that provides free credit scores and reports, published data ranking the 100 largest U.S. cities in terms of pet-friendliness. The company looked at 21 metrics, including veterinary care costs, pet businesses per capita and dog parks per capita.
Related: Getting a Co-Op to Love You and Your Dog
Scottsdale, Arizona ranked no. 1. It came in first for “pet health and wellness,” which looks at things like veterinarians in the area, dog-friendly businesses and animal shelters, and came in second for “outdoor pet-friendliness,” a metric that measures dog-friendly outdoor activities in the city. Newark, New Jersey came in last based on its high cost to own a pet and limited outdoor space, among other things.
While New York City came in 97th overall, only beating out Newark, Honolulu and Baltimore, it did rank no. 1 for most expensive city to raise a pet. According to the data, it has the highest dog insurance premiums on the market and also vet visits are expensive. The least expensive was Oklahoma City.
Related: Our Picks for the Best Bay Area Dog-Friendly Beaches
Here is the complete ranking:
Overall Rank* | City | Total Score | ‘Pet Budget’ Rank | ‘Pet Health & Wellness’ Rank |
‘Outdoor Pet-Friendliness’ Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Scottsdale, AZ | 65.93 | 80 | 1 | 2 |
2 | Phoenix, AZ | 63.54 | 12 | 6 | 10 |
3 | Tampa, FL | 61.48 | 10 | 9 | 19 |
4 | San Diego, CA | 60.56 | 85 | 2 | 6 |
5 | Orlando, FL | 59.81 | 27 | 4 | 47 |
6 | Birmingham, AL | 59.37 | 3 | 21 | 50 |
7 | Austin, TX | 58.26 | 43 | 3 | 54 |
8 | Cincinnati, OH | 57.19 | 13 | 27 | 28 |
9 | Atlanta, GA | 56.73 | 24 | 5 | 75 |
10 | Las Vegas, NV | 56.73 | 63 | 15 | 9 |
11 | Oklahoma City, OK | 56.13 | 1 | 33 | 77 |
12 | Plano, TX | 56.09 | 58 | 8 | 27 |
13 | St. Petersburg, FL | 55.91 | 21 | 34 | 23 |
14 | Colorado Springs, CO | 55.51 | 56 | 19 | 21 |
15 | Sacramento, CA | 54.95 | 66 | 20 | 18 |
16 | Tucson, AZ | 54.47 | 16 | 31 | 42 |
17 | St. Louis, MO | 54.37 | 18 | 36 | 36 |
18 | Gilbert, AZ | 54.22 | 41 | 11 | 65 |
19 | San Antonio, TX | 53.74 | 8 | 38 | 64 |
20 | Miami, FL | 53.65 | 33 | 12 | 72 |
21 | Seattle, WA | 53.28 | 88 | 14 | 17 |
22 | Denver, CO | 53.25 | 77 | 7 | 53 |
23 | Albuquerque, NM | 53.04 | 14 | 86 | 13 |
24 | Bakersfield, CA | 52.80 | 22 | 57 | 32 |
25 | Henderson, NV | 52.80 | 34 | 77 | 5 |
26 | Portland, OR | 52.78 | 94 | 10 | 7 |
27 | Los Angeles, CA | 52.65 | 96 | 13 | 4 |
28 | North Las Vegas, NV | 52.52 | 31 | 66 | 22 |
29 | Columbus, OH | 52.26 | 4 | 64 | 57 |
30 | Tulsa, OK | 51.36 | 15 | 42 | 74 |
31 | San Francisco, CA | 50.97 | 99 | 16 | 1 |
32 | Fremont, CA | 50.90 | 82 | 45 | 12 |
33 | Glendale, AZ | 50.87 | 53 | 26 | 56 |
34 | Omaha, NE | 50.47 | 17 | 54 | 66 |
35 | Dallas, TX | 50.44 | 84 | 18 | 41 |
36 | Fort Worth, TX | 50.43 | 50 | 28 | 69 |
37 | Long Beach, CA | 50.41 | 86 | 43 | 11 |
38 | Irvine, CA | 50.31 | 97 | 29 | 3 |
39 | Houston, TX | 50.03 | 52 | 25 | 71 |
40 | Chicago, IL | 49.97 | 83 | 17 | 52 |
41 | Greensboro, NC | 49.91 | 5 | 48 | 73 |
42 | Chandler, AZ | 49.83 | 64 | 24 | 63 |
43 | Corpus Christi, TX | 49.78 | 9 | 72 | 85 |
44 | Arlington, TX | 49.76 | 38 | 52 | 59 |
45 | Garland, TX | 49.26 | 47 | 51 | 60 |
46 | St. Paul, MN | 49.05 | 40 | 75 | 35 |
47 | Pittsburgh, PA | 48.97 | 45 | 82 | 26 |
48 | San Jose, CA | 48.94 | 44 | 70 | 25 |
49 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | 48.93 | 32 | 41 | 93 |
50 | Raleigh, NC | 48.92 | 42 | 30 | 84 |
51 | Boise, ID | 48.75 | 49 | 78 | 31 |
52 | Nashville, TN | 48.59 | 70 | 23 | 79 |
53 | Indianapolis, IN | 48.31 | 20 | 35 | 96 |
54 | Mesa, AZ | 48.30 | 69 | 37 | 70 |
55 | Chesapeake, VA | 48.28 | 72 | 67 | 24 |
56 | Jacksonville, FL | 48.21 | 55 | 32 | 86 |
57 | Madison, WI | 48.11 | 67 | 73 | 30 |
58 | Memphis, TN | 47.97 | 25 | 40 | 98 |
59 | Kansas City, MO | 47.71 | 19 | 80 | 62 |
60 | Minneapolis, MN | 47.65 | 74 | 55 | 44 |
61 | Virginia Beach, VA | 47.65 | 57 | 47 | 83 |
62 | Riverside, CA | 47.61 | 75 | 63 | 29 |
63 | Stockton, CA | 47.49 | 39 | 87 | 38 |
64 | Fresno, CA | 47.46 | 28 | 69 | 48 |
65 | Lincoln, NE | 47.44 | 23 | 81 | 61 |
66 | Anaheim, CA | 47.40 | 93 | 22 | 39 |
67 | Chula Vista, CA | 47.23 | 81 | 56 | 40 |
68 | Oakland, CA | 46.85 | 89 | 53 | 33 |
69 | Irving, TX | 46.57 | 47 | 60 | 89 |
70 | Winston-Salem, NC | 46.51 | 30 | 71 | 91 |
71 | Durham, NC | 46.26 | 29 | 65 | 90 |
72 | Aurora, CO | 46.25 | 62 | 49 | 82 |
73 | Wichita, KS | 46.02 | 36 | 50 | 99 |
74 | New Orleans, LA | 45.96 | 68 | 74 | 51 |
75 | Hialeah, FL | 45.62 | 71 | 61 | 68 |
76 | Toledo, OH | 45.55 | 6 | 91 | 58 |
77 | Louisville, KY | 45.47 | 35 | 58 | 94 |
78 | Fort Wayne, IN | 45.45 | 2 | 83 | 100 |
79 | El Paso, TX | 45.28 | 37 | 94 | 43 |
80 | Washington, DC | 45.20 | 95 | 59 | 16 |
81 | Baton Rouge, LA | 45.12 | 51 | 44 | 95 |
82 | Lubbock, TX | 45.04 | 26 | 89 | 87 |
83 | San Bernardino, CA | 44.77 | 61 | 93 | 15 |
84 | Laredo, TX | 44.66 | 6 | 95 | 67 |
85 | Cleveland, OH | 44.56 | 46 | 79 | 78 |
86 | Reno, NV | 43.99 | 79 | 68 | 76 |
87 | Jersey City, NJ | 43.73 | 92 | 85 | 14 |
88 | Detroit, MI | 43.44 | 54 | 84 | 80 |
89 | Norfolk, VA | 43.43 | 72 | 88 | 46 |
90 | Milwaukee, WI | 43.20 | 11 | 97 | 81 |
91 | Charlotte, NC | 42.86 | 78 | 46 | 97 |
92 | Anchorage, AK | 42.21 | 87 | 96 | 20 |
93 | Philadelphia, PA | 41.58 | 90 | 90 | 37 |
94 | Buffalo, NY | 41.36 | 60 | 92 | 88 |
95 | Santa Ana, CA | 41.34 | 91 | 76 | 55 |
96 | Boston, MA | 41.29 | 59 | 98 | 45 |
97 | New York, NY | 41.29 | 100 | 62 | 8 |
98 | Honolulu, HI | 39.69 | 76 | 100 | 34 |
99 | Baltimore, MD | 39.40 | 65 | 99 | 49 |
100 | Newark, NJ | 38.89 | 98 | 39 | 92 |