2024’s Most Pet-Friendly Cities

(8/9/24) Wondering which cities will pamper your poodle? Love your lab? Dote on your dachshund?

OK, enough of that.

According to a recent report by personal-finance website WalletHub, ranking the pet-friendliness of the 100 largest cities based on 23 key metrics, the most pet-friendly city in the nation is . . . Scottsdale, Ariz.

Scottsdale came in tops based on its high number of pet businesses and dog-friendly shops per capita. In addition, if you’re a renter, Scottsdale is the place to be because nearly 98% of rental listings in the city allow pets, one of the highest percentages in the United States, according to WalletHub.

Other cities in the top five are Tampa, Las Vegas, Birmingham, Ala. and Lexington, Ky.

To arrive at its rankings, WalletHub compared the 100 most-populated cities based on criteria such as pet budgets (veterinary care costs, pet insurance premiums, etc.), pet health and wellness (number of veterinarians and dog sitters, dog-friendly restaurants, etc.) and outdoor pet-friendliness.

And which cities should you avoid if you’re a pet lover? According to the WalletHub report, Boston was the least pet-friendly city evaluated, followed by Durham, N.C.; Milwaukee, Honolulu and New York City.

You can read the entire WalletHub report and see where your city ranks at https://wallethub.com/edu/most-pet-friendly-cities/5562.