It’s no secret we love our pets! They are family! In fact, did you know that there are over 90 million households with pets in the US? That’s a lot of pets and families who want them to live long, happy, and healthy lives. Can where you reside impact that? It just might! A recent study conducted by Wallet Hub ranked one North Carolina city as one of the most pet friendly. Think you know which one it is? I’ll give you a hint it has a vet school which probably contributed to such a high ranking on this list.

In 2021, pet ownership cost Americans $123.6 billion, according to the American Pet Products Association. Expenses add up fast between food, vet care, grooming, toys, boarding etc. Though if you love your pets the way I do there is no amount of money you wouldn’t spend on them.

With animal parents in mind, WalletHub compared the pet-friendliness of the 100 largest U.S. cities across 23 key metrics. Their data set ranges from minimum pet-care provider rate per visit to pet businesses per capita to walkability. Keep reading to see which North Carolina city ranked as one of the most pet friendly. You’ll see the top 20 and then below that where there the other three NC cities included are ranked. You can read WalletHub’s full study here.

Top 20 Most Pet Friendly Cities In The US
1. Scottsdale, AZ
Total Score: 63.48

Pet Budget: 74

Pet Health & Wellness: 1

Outdoor Pet Friendliness: 6
2. Tampa, FL
Total Score: 61.86

Pet Budget: 38

Pet Health & Wellness: 4

Outdoor Pet Friendliness: 19
3. Portland, OR
Total Score: 59.46

Pet Budget: 59

Pet Health & Wellness: 9

Outdoor Pet Friendliness: 4
4. St. Louis, MO
Total Score: 59.18

Pet Budget: 59

Pet Health & Wellness: 9

Outdoor Pet Friendliness: 4
5. Cincinnati, OH
Total Score: 59.14

Pet Budget: 16

Pet Health & Wellness: 25

Outdoor Pet Friendliness: 32
6. St. Petersburg, FL
Total Score: 58.91

Pet Budget: 38

Pet Health & Wellness: 5

Outdoor Pet Friendliness: 38
7. Lexington-Fayette, KY
Total Score: 58.35

Pet Budget: 10

Pet Health & Wellness: 10

Outdoor Pet Friendliness: 93
8. Las Vegas, NV
Total Score: 58.25

Pet Budget: 56

Pet Health & Wellness: 35

Outdoor Pet Friendliness: 3
9. Colorado Springs, CO
Total Score: 55.77

Pet Budget: 58

Pet Health & Wellness: 8

Outdoor Pet Friendliness: 34
10. Raleigh, NC
Total Score: 57.32

Pet Budget: 2

Pet Health & Wellness: 41

Outdoor Pet Friendliness: 60
11. Omaha, NE
Total Score: 57.25

Pet Budget: 2

Pet Health & Wellness: 41

Outdoor Pet Friendliness: 60
12. Orlando, FL
Total Score: 57.08

Pet Budget: 49

Pet Health & Wellness: 7

Outdoor Pet Friendliness: 43
13. Plano, TX
Total Score: 56.99

Pet Budget: 81

Pet Health & Wellness: 2

Outdoor Pet Friendliness: 27
14. Boise, ID
Total Score: 56.99

Pet Budget: 41

Pet Health & Wellness: 32

Outdoor Pet Friendliness: 18
15. Birmingham, AL
Total Score: 56.54

Pet Budget: 21

Pet Health & Wellness: 20

Outdoor Pet Friendliness: 87
16. Denver, CO
Total Score: 55.77

Pet Budget: 58

Pet Health & Wellness: 8

Outdoor Pet Friendliness: 34
17. Austin, TX
Total Score: 55.52

Pet Budget: 60

Pet Health & Wellness: 3

Outdoor Pet Friendliness: 62
18. Pittsburgh, PA
Total Score: 55.33

Pet Budget: 47

Pet Health & Wellness: 39

Outdoor Pet Friendliness: 21
19. North Las Vegas, NV

Total Score: 55.22

Pet Budget: 20

Pet Health & Wellness: 78

Outdoor Pet Friendliness: 16
20. Atlanta, GA
Total Score: 54.70

Pet Budget: 29

Pet Health & Wellness: 14

Outdoor Pet Friendliness: 82
North Carolina's Pet Friendliest Cities
Please note Raleigh was previously included at #10
47. Winston-Salem, NC
Total Score: 50.62

Pet Budget: 5

Pet Health & Wellness: 91

Outdoor Pet Friendliness: 75
52. Greensboro, NC
Total Score: 49.99

Pet Budget: 8

Pet Health & Wellness: 70

Outdoor Pet Friendliness: 72
83. Charlotte, NC
Total Score: 45.55

Pet Budget: 55

Pet Health & Wellness: 57

Outdoor Pet Friendliness: 94
Metholodology (From WalletHub)
In order to determine the most pet-friendly places in America, WalletHub compared the 100 most populated cities across three key dimensions: 1) Pet Budget, 2) Pet Health & Wellness and 3) Outdoor Pet-Friendliness.

We evaluated those dimensions using 23 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for pets and their owners. Data for metrics marked with an asterisk (*) were available at the state level only. For metrics marked with an asterisk (**), the square root of the population was used to calculate the population size in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across cities.

Finally, we determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample. Our sample considers only the city proper in each case and excludes cities in the surrounding metro area.

Pet Budget – Total Points: 25

Veterinary Care Costs: Full Weight (~10.00 Points)

Minimum Pet-Care Provider Rate per Visit: Half Weight (~5.00 Points)

Dog Insurance Premium: Full Weight (~10.00 Points)

Pet Health & Wellness – Total Points: 50

Veterinarians per Capita**: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)

Pet Caretakers per Capita**: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)

Animal Trainers per Capita**: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)

Pet Businesses per Capita**: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)

Dog-Friendly Restaurants per Capita**: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)

Dog-Friendly Shops per Capita**: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)

Pet Meetup Groups per Capita**: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)

Doggie Daycare & Boarding Establishments per Capita**: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)

Pet-Friendliness of Rental Market: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of pet-friendly rental units.

Average Home Square Footage: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)

Share of Single-Family Detached Homes: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)

Share of Homes with One or Fewer Occupants per Room: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)

Animal Shelters per Capita**: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)

Strength of Animal Protection Laws: Full* Weight (~3.57 Points)
Note: This metric is based on the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s “Best & Worst States for Animal Protection Laws” ranking.

Outdoor Pet-Friendliness – Total Points: 25

Weather: Full Weight (~4.55 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Cities with the Best & Worst Weather” ranking.

Dog Parks per Capita**: Full Weight (~4.55 Points)

Parkland as Share of City Area: Full Weight (~4.55 Points)

Walk Score: Full Weight (~4.55 Points)

Dog-Friendly Trails per Capita**: Full Weight (~4.55 Points)

Dog Shows per Capita**: Half* Weight (~2.27 Points)

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Yelp.com, WalkScore.com, RentPath, Pets Best Insurance Services, Council for Community and Economic Research, Center for Neighborhood Technology, Sittercity, BringFido, InfoDog, Trust for Public Land, Animal Legal Defense Fund, Meetup, Realtor and WalletHub research.