Pet owners will do a lot for their furry (or feathered) family members. Theyâll pay high vet bills , order the best of the best food , and, in some cases, may even leave their animals money in their wills .Â
When it comes to having pets , choosing the right location to settle down also has an impact. Living in a city with plenty of pet-friendly rentals and high-quality veterinary care will make it a lot easier (and possibly cheaper) to welcome an animal into the home.Â
WalletHub recently set out to determine the most pet-friendly cities in the United States. They rated the 100 largest U.S. cities using 23 key metrics; those metrics were broken down into three major categories: pet budget, pet health and wellness, and outdoor pet-friendliness. Hereâs which cities stood out as the best (and worst) places for pet owners to live.
The top city, Scottsdale, Arizona, has a lot to offer animal lovers. It is among the most pet-related businesses in the nation, and 98 percent its rental units allow animals. Scottsdaleâs ample outdoor spaces and relatively pleasant weather are an added bonus.
Tampa, Floridaâthe no. 2 spotâhas an extremely high number of local veterinarians and animal shelters. Itâs followed by Las Vegas, Nevada, which also boasts an abundance of affordable veterinary options. Those hoping for a break on their pet insurance costs should consider Birmingham, Alabama, which has one of the nationâs lowest pet insurance premiums.
When it comes to choosing a pet-friendly place to live, not every U.S. city compares to the 10 listed above. Hereâs a look at the cities that rounded out the bottom of WalletHubâs rankings.
Boston, Massachusetts, was determined to be the least pet-friendly city in the U.S., mostly because itâs the most expensive place to own and maintain an animal. Durham, North Carolina, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, were determined to have few pet-friendly rental units available. And though New York has a decent amount of pet-friendly rentals and dog parks, it has some of the highest veterinary costs and has a notably low amount of companion animal-related businesses.
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