With International Homeless Animals Day just around the corner and pet ownership in the U.S. at an all-time high, the leading personal finance social network WalletHub conducted an analysis of 2014’s Best & Worst Cities for Pet Lovers.
To help animal lovers enjoy the company of their pets without breaking the bank (which can rack up to about $2,000 in annual expenses), WalletHub compared the creature-friendliness of the 100 largest cities in the United States. We did so by using 14 key metrics such as veterinary care costs, the number of pet-friendly restaurants per capita and the number of dog parks per capita in each city.
| Best Cities for Pet Lovers | Worst Cities for Pet Lovers | ||||
| 1 | Cincinnati, OH | 91 | Wichita, KS | ||
| 2 | Las Vegas, NV | 92 | Lubbock, TX | ||
| 3 | Scottsdale, AZ | 93 | Chicago, IL | ||
| 4 | Irvine, CA | 94 | Philadelphia, PA | ||
| 5 | Sacramento, CA | 95 | Jacksonville, FL | ||
| 6 | Atlanta, GA | 96 | Anchorage, AK | ||
| 7 | Tampa, FL | 97 | Detroit, MI | ||
| 8 | St. Louis, MO | 98 | Corpus Christi, TX | ||
| 9 | Orlando, FL | 99 | New York, NY | ||
| 10 | Glendale, AZ | 100 | Memphis, TN | ||
Key Stats
- Veterinary care costs are 2 times higher in Boston than in Milwaukee.
- Dog insurance premiums are 2 times higher in Mesa, Ariz. or Chandler, Ariz., than in St. Paul, Minn.
- The number of veterinarians per capita is 70 times higher in Cincinnati than in Newark, N.J.
- The number of pet businesses per capita is 45 times higher in Anaheim than in Laredo, Texas.
- San Francisco has 81 times more pet-friendly restaurants per capita than Detroit.
- Plano, Texas, has 36 times more pet-friendly trails per capita than Detroit.
For the full report and to see where your city ranks, please visit:
http://wallethub.com/edu/best-and-worst-cities-for-pet-lovers/5562/