Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on LawnStarter.
Dogs are part of the family, but not all cities make it easy to live like it. Some invest in green space, pet-friendly housing or dining, and local amenities, while others leave dog owners chasing their tails.
“Working with city planners and developers to make spaces dog friendly, for example more grass, waste disposal stations with bags provided, and water stations, is helpful,” says Dr. Steven Marks, dean of Clemson University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
That kind of thoughtful design makes life easier for pups and people alike.
Because we’re thankful for our furry BFFs, LawnStarter, ranked the best cities for dog lovers, comparing the 500 largest U.S. cities across 37 key factors.
We sniffed out everything from yard size and dog-friendly rentals to vet access, affordability, and community support.
Curious if your city leads the pack? Fetch the following ranking and explore our paw-some methodology at the end to see how it came together.
15. Austin, TX
- Overall Score: 40.71
- Care Rank: 52
- Community Rank: 33
- Business Rank: 38
- Housing Rank: 66
- Affordability Rank: 138
14. Atlanta, GA
- Overall Score: 40.72
- Care Rank: 25
- Community Rank: 257
- Business Rank: 26
- Housing Rank: 31
- Affordability Rank: 81
13. Tucson, AZ
- Overall Score: 41.02
- Care Rank: 5
- Community Rank: 49
- Business Rank: 64
- Housing Rank: 167
- Affordability Rank: 491
12. Carmel, IN
- Overall Score: 41.07
- Care Rank: 166
- Community Rank: 269
- Business Rank: 7
- Housing Rank: 3
- Affordability Rank: 15
11. Knoxville, TN
- Overall Score: 41.51
- Care Rank: 1
- Community Rank: 289
- Business Rank: 35
- Housing Rank: 93
- Affordability Rank: 462
10. Bend, OR
- Overall Score: 41.85
- Care Rank: 47
- Community Rank: 22
- Business Rank: 8
- Housing Rank: 125
- Affordability Rank: 279
9. Raleigh, NC
- Overall Score: 42.01
- Care Rank: 34
- Community Rank: 72
- Business Rank: 61
- Housing Rank: 24
- Affordability Rank: 87
8. Santa Monica, CA
- Overall Score: 42.51
- Care Rank: 98
- Community Rank: 3
- Business Rank: 33
- Housing Rank: 148
- Affordability Rank: 48
7. Orlando, FL
- Overall Score: 43.17
- Care Rank: 3
- Community Rank: 196
- Business Rank: 14
- Housing Rank: 173
- Affordability Rank: 352
6. Wilmington, NC
- Overall Score: 43.18
- Care Rank: 6
- Community Rank: 233
- Business Rank: 19
- Housing Rank: 88
- Affordability Rank: 130
5. Santa Fe, NM
- Overall Score: 44.35
- Care Rank: 28
- Community Rank: 95
- Business Rank: 3
- Housing Rank: 6
- Affordability Rank: 430
4. New York, NY
- Overall Score: 45.64
- Care Rank: 27
- Community Rank: 1
- Business Rank: 70
- Housing Rank: 317
- Affordability Rank: 137
3. Scottsdale, AZ
- Overall Score: 46.49
- Care Rank: 22
- Community Rank: 19
- Business Rank: 13
- Housing Rank: 11
- Affordability Rank: 152
2. Asheville, NC
- Overall Score: 48.42
- Care Rank: 13
- Community Rank: 73
- Business Rank: 1
- Housing Rank: 55
- Affordability Rank: 258
1. Frederick, MD
- Overall Score: 49.92
- Care Rank: 11
- Community Rank: 2
- Business Rank: 20
- Housing Rank: 197
- Affordability Rank: 59
Methodology
To rank the best cities for dog lovers, we compared the 500 biggest U.S. cities across 37 metrics.
Our dog lovers metrics covered five core themes:
Care (36%): Our care metrics measure the availability of veterinary and pet service networks. It includes the number of vets, emergency clinics, and specialists, along with groomers, sitters, trainers, and boarding options. Together these metrics show how easy it is to find reliable, professional help for a dog’s health and daily needs.
Community (28%): These metrics capture how a city supports dogs beyond the backyard. We measured access to dog parks, walking routes, and local events such as training sessions and shows. This category also reflects the strength of animal welfare laws, shelter access, and breeder regulations that define a city’s overall dog culture.
Businesses (12%): This category reflects how dog-friendly a city’s commercial spaces are. We counted restaurants, hotels, and shopping centers that welcome dogs, as well as services like pet transport and food delivery.
Housing (16%): We evaluated how well each city’s homes fit life with a dog. We looked at average home and yard size along with the share of rental properties that welcome dogs. More space and flexible housing make it easier for owners to give dogs room to move.
Affordability (8%): We analyzed the cost of core pet services relative to income. This includes prices for grooming, sitting, training, and insurance. Cities that balance affordability with quality make responsible pet ownership accessible to more residents.
We assigned each metric a weight based on its impact.
Each city earned a score out of 100 for every metric, category, and overall. A city’s overall score is the average of its score across all metrics. The city with the highest score ranked No. 1 (best).
Here are the metrics:
- Average Home Square Footage
- Share of Dog-Friendly Rental Properties
- Average Yard Size (Sq. Ft.)
- Best Dog Walking Cities Rank
- Number of Dog Parks
- Average Rating of Dog Parks
- Number of Highly-rated Dog Parks
- Number of Private Dog Parks For Rent
- Number of Dog Shows and Dog Training Events Within 50 Miles
- Dog Meetups per 100,000 Residents
- Regulations for Commercial Breeders
- Animal Shelters per 100,000 Residents
- Friendliness of Dog Laws
- Number of Pet Stores
- Veterinarians per 100,000 Residents
- Average Ratings Of Veterinarians
- Number of Emergency Veterinary Clinics and Hospitals
- Number of Animal Hospitals
- Number of Veterinary Dental Offices
- Number of Colleges/Universities With Veterinary Specialty
- Pet Trainers per 100,000 Residents
- Dog Sitters per 100,000 Residents
- Pet Groomers per 100,000 Residents
- Dog Boarding Options per 100,000 Residents
- Kennels per 100,000 Residents
- Pet Cremation Services
- Pet Cemeteries
- City/State Requires Rabies Vaccination
- Dog-Friendly Accommodations per 100,000 Residents
- Number of Dog-Friendly Restaurants per 100,000 Residents
- Number of Dog-Friendly Shopping Centers per 100,000 Residents
- Number of Pet Transportation Services
- Pet Food Delivery Services
- Average Dog Insurance Premium (adj. by Income)
- Average Per-Visit Dog Sitter Rate (adj. by Income)
- Average Pet Groomer Rate (adj. by Income)
- Average Cost of Dog Training (adj. by Income)
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