Friendly Pet Cities, Recommended by Rover Reporter Bandit Thibodeaux

August 12, 2017 Featured Article

To many of us, pets are family — only furrier, slimier and sometimes cuddlier than our human relatives. Naturally the nearly 85 million pet parents in the U.S. today seek out the places where their beloved companions can enjoy the highest standard of living — hopefully at the most reasonable cost.

Years ago, pet owners had access to only a handful of businesses offering animal services and supplies. Petco and PetSmart were among the biggest names. But new pet businesses are cropping up every day to fill the demand of this growing breed of consumers. Today, we spoil our pets with all kinds of luxuries, such as gourmet pet cuisine, upscale hotel accommodations and even pet “dating” services.

But adding an animal to the family roster can be hard on the wallet. A long list of expenses that include licenses, grooming and medical care can cost between $227 to more than $2,000 annually, depending on the type of animal. Health insurance alone can exceed $200 per year for a dog, and it may not even be worth it. And if you rent an apartment with an animal, you can expect to pay hundreds, if not thousands, more for a pet deposit, fee and rent.

With pet parents in mind, WalletHub’s number crunchers compared the creature-friendliness of the 100 largest U.S. cities across 21 key metrics. Our data set ranges from minimum pet-care provider rate per visit to pet businesses per capita to walkability. Scroll down for the winners, expert pet advice and a full description of our methodology.