With more and more people choosing pet parenting in the United States, the demand for pet-friendly cities is on the rise. Recent statistics indicate that a majority of individuals consider their pets’ well-being as a crucial factor when purchasing a home. Thus, Forbes Advisor conducted a study to identify the best cities for pet owners.
List of the best cities for pet owners in 2024
Eighty-one of the most populated cities were evaluated by Forbes Advisor across various metrics to obtain the results. Therefore, the top-ranked cities are perfect for pet parents seeking affordable veterinary services and convenient access to vets. In addition, these cities have an abundance of pet-friendly locations.
Here are the best cities for pet owners in 2024 in the U.S.:
- Kansas City, Missouri: Kansas City stands out as the ultimate choice for pet owners across the nation, largely due to its ranking as the second-best city for dog and cat veterinary expenses.
- Nashville, Tennessee: Nashville is the second-best city in the country for pet owners, as per Food Advisor. It also ranks fourth alongside Louisville, Kentucky, and Oklahoma City for having the lowest average veterinary costs for dogs and cats.
- Albuquerque, New Mexico: Albuquerque claims the third spot for having plenty of spaces welcoming pets.
- Raleigh, North Carolina: In terms of accessibility to veterinary services, pet owners in Raleigh enjoy the fourth-best access in the country.
- Wichita, Kansas: Although Wichita ranks fifth in this list, pet parents in the city enjoy the most affordable prices for dog and cat vet care across the U.S.
Forbes Advisor came up with the list by assessing data from the 100 most populated cities in the U.S. However, only 81 of these had available data.
It evaluated these cities across four essential categories. These include the cost of veterinary care for dogs, the cost of veterinary care for cats, access to veterinary services, and the number of pet-friendly places available in the cities. Moreover, Forbes Advisor took 13 metrics into consideration, which formed the basis for comparing the cities.
