BALTIMORE, MD—With National Homeless Animals Day approaching and over 90.5 million U.S. pet-owning households having spent $136.8 billion last year on their animal companions, the personal finance website WalletHub this week released an in-depth report on 2023’s Most Pet-Friendly Cities.
In order to determine where Americans’ animal companions can enjoy the best quality of life without breaking the bank, WalletHub compared the creature-friendliness of the 100 largest cities across 23 key metrics.
Baltimore was ranked last on the list at No. 100. Scottsdale, AZ was ranked No. 1, followed by Tampa, FL.
The data set ranges from minimum pet-care provider rate per visit to pet businesses per capita to walkability.
| Most Pet-Friendly Cities | Least Pet-Friendly Cities |
| 1. Scottsdale, AZ | 91. Detroit, MI |
| 2. Tampa, FL | 92. Buffalo, NY |
| 3. St. Petersburg, FL | 93. Chula Vista, CA |
| 4. Las Vegas, NV | 94. Boston, MA |
| 5. Colorado Springs, CO | 95. New York, NY |
| 6. Birmingham, AL | 96. Laredo, TX |
| 7. Atlanta, GA | 97. Durham, NC |
| 8. Raleigh, NC | 98. Santa Ana, CA |
| 9. St. Louis, MO | 99. Dallas, TX |
| 10. Portland, OR | 100. Baltimore, MD |
Key Stats
- Columbus, Ohio, has the lowest average veterinary care costs (annual exam), $40.13, which is 2.7 times lower than in Plano, Texas, the city with the highest at $109.03.
- Miami has the most veterinarians (per square root of the population), 0.3585, which is 99.6 times more than in Newark, New Jersey, the city with the fewest at 0.0036.
- Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, Indiana, have the lowest monthly dog-insurance premium, $39.75, which is 2.7 times lower than in New York, the city with the highest at $108.83.
- Scottsdale, Arizona, has the most pet businesses (per square root of the population), 0.4912, which is 9.4 times more than in Newark, New Jersey, the city with the fewest at 0.0524.
The full list can be viewed online here.
More in the video below.
