The personal finance website, WalletHub just released a report on the Most Pet Friendly Cities in the U.S. in 2023. Sadly, Boston didn’t fare well. The site’s purpose in this study was to find out where in the USA our pets can enjoy “the best quality of life without breaking the bank.” To do that, they company the friendliness of the 100 biggest cities, using 23 key metrics. The information provided set their scope from “minimum pet-care provider rate per visit to pet businesses per capita to walkability.’ The bottom line: Boston is not very pet friendly, according to WalletHub and here’s why.
It all comes down to costs of veterinary care, insurance premiums, dog-friendly restaurants, animal shelters, dog parks and pet business. The only area that Boston had an above average showing was in the dog parks per capita. Below, you will see more about each category and how we scored. Also, you will find which cities had the highest grades for pet-friendliness. You will clearly see that Boston is not very pet friendly according to WalletHub.
Many studies have shown the positive effects pets have on humans. The companionship of our fur babies is a wonderful stress reliever. That unconditional love goes a long way. The WalletHub report pointed our that nearly 90.5 million of U.S. households with pets want to live where our “babies” can live their best, healthy lives.
The Top 5 Pet Friendly Cities
So, which cities are really showing up for their pets? As the WalletHub report shows it’s Scottsdale, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Las Vegas and Colorado Springs that are the most pet-friendly.
Check out their graph, HERE.
Scottsdale earned a total score of 63.70. They ranked #1 for pet health and wellness and #8 for outdoor pet friendliness.
(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
How Did Boston rank overall?
Here are the numbers for you. Boston ranked #94 out of the 100 cities. Yikes. Our total score was 42.89. For “pet budget” we ranked 95. That is bad, but hey our cost of living is higher than the top states in this study, so it is somewhat relative. Our best rank was #43 for outdoor pet friendliness. Credit goes to our dog parks and open spaces that let our dogs run.
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Costs of Having a Pet
We lead with our hearts when it comes to pets. When considering adding to our family with a dog, cat, or other pet, we often put costs on the back burner. The experts in the WalletHub report say we should all consider what it takes out of our bank account, before diving in.
Expense to consider include licenses, grooming and medical care. That can run the average family from $1,000 – $3,000+ every year. . Pet insurance alone is usually over $200 per year for a dog. And remember if you rent an apartment, you can add hundred of dollars, or even thousands to the total, because of the pet deposits, fees and higher rent in general for “pet friendly apartments.”
(Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images)
