Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/pet-friendly-cities/

People in the U.S. really love pets. According to Forbes, “pet ownership in the U.S. has jumped significantly over the past three decades.”

Forbes reports that in 2023, 66% of U.S. households (around 86.9 million homes) own at least one pet. That’s a pretty significant number!

If you’re a pet owner, you probably know that not all areas are as pet-friendly as others. Some areas offer dog-friendly restaurants and lavish dog parks. Other areas seem to prefer pet owners to keep their pets at home.

If you’re a pet owner or thinking of welcoming a pet into your home, you might be curious how different areas rank in regards to pet-friendliness.

WalletHub used 23 metrics to rank the 100 largest U.S. cities for pet-friendliness. The 23 metrics used to determine the list include average veterinary costs, number of veterinarians and pet caretakers in an area, the number of dog-friendly restaurants and shops, pet-friendly housing availability, animal protection laws, and outdoor pet-friendlies like the number of walking trails, dog parks, etc.

Based on their findings, here are the top 10 most pet-friendly cities of 2023:

10. Portland, Oregon

9. St. Louis, Missouri

8. Raleigh, North Carolina

7. Atlanta, Georgia

6. Birmingham, Alabama

5. Colorado Springs, Colorado

4. Las Vegas, Nevada

3. St. Petersburg, Florida

2. Tampa, Florida

1. Scottsdale, Arizona

Scottsdale ranked as the most pet-friendly city in the United States!

Out of the 100 cities ranked, Baltimore, Maryland scored the lowest for pet-friendliness.

You can check out the full list and rankings below:

Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog