Americans have shown a growing commitment to taking on the financial responsibility of pet ownership. In fact, the American Pet Products Association is predicting that pet ownership will cost Americans over $72 billion this year. As the interest in heightened spending on pets continues to grow, so does the animal health and products market.
While spending continues to grow, pet owners aren’t doing so blindly. Smart spending is the key to scaling back the burden pet ownership can have on the wallet.
With the pet owner in mind, WalletHub compared the pet-friendliness of the 100 largest U.S. cities across 24 key metrics. According to the site, “Our data set ranges from minimum pet-care provider rate per visit to pet businesses per capita to walkability.”
Based on these metrics, the following cities made up the top 5 “Most Pet-Friendly Cities”:
| Overall Rank | City | Total Score | ‘Pet Budget’ Rank | ‘Pet Health & Wellness’ Rank | ‘Outdoor Pet-Friendliness’ Rank |
| 1 | Scottsdale, AZ | 60.48 | 80 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 | Orlando, FL | 58.35 | 14 | 4 | 46 |
| 3 | San Diego, CA | 58.10 | 78 | 3 | 6 |
| 4 | Austin, TX | 56.20 | 33 | 2 | 58 |
| 5 | Phoenix, AZ | 56.00 | 49 | 13 | 16 |
In addition to the rankings, WalletHub offers pet advice from a panel of experts and a full description of their methodology.
This information could be particularly useful for veterinarians and practice managers interested in relocating or expanding their existing practice to a new location.
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