Where Is The Most Dog Friendly City In The US? Report Finds Cities Friendliest For Pets And Owners

A new survey has found that pet-friendliness plays a large contribution to owners’ desires to move or stay in a specific area, and certain cities are actually more likely to be more welcoming to man’s best friend than others.

A survey by Zillow and Rover found that 20 cities specifically were the fastest-growing dog-friendly cities in the United States. Results were based upon a combination of registered dog-owner accounts on Rover, a site for helping find services for dogs, from June 2021 to March 2022, as well as page views and pet-friendly single-family home rental listings on Zillow, a real estate site, from March 2021 to March 2022.

According to the findings, Antioch, Tenn. Is the top city for dog-friendly rentals, with the Nashville-adjacent neighborhood seeing the largest annual increase in new Rover accounts, as well as a 62% increase in people looking for pet-friendly single-family rentals on Zillow.

The other top cities were Baltimore; Alexandria, Va.; Fuquay-Varina, N.C.; Kansas City, Kan.; Cumming, Ga.; Bellevue, Wash.; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Palo Alto, Calif.; Charleston, S.C.; Lee’s Summit, Miss.; Bentonville, Ark.; Denver; Tuscaloosa, Ala.; Philadelphia; Lewisville, Texas; Chicago; Rochester, Minn.; Norman, Okla. And Grand Rapids, Mich.

The survey also found that 60% of dog parents say their dog’s happiness and wellbeing contributed to their decision to move, while 72% of dog parents want to live in areas with plenty of dog owners, parks and pet-friendly rentals.

“Pets are at the center of our families, and they’re influencing how and where we live,” Kate Jaffe, trends expert at Rover said about the findings in a press release.

However, over half of the pet owners (57%) surveyed found it difficult to find a dog-friendly rental.

During the pandemic, the number of renters who became pet owners soared as more people spent time at home. Since 61% of homeowners and 57% of renters are pet owners, that makes decisions about where to live important for pets and their owners.

"We saw pandemic pet ownership soar among renters, which has impacted their home preferences," said Amanda Pendelton, Zillow's home trends expert.

She also pointed out that renters are seeking "more space and relative affordability in places where they can get a fenced backyard or room for a doghouse," following a general trend of recent movers preferring more space.