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13 min readIn the US, there are over 50,000 pet-friendly rentals and more than 71 million households with pets.1,2 But where can you live that puts the safety of pets at the forefront?
To help folks looking to find a place to call home for themselves alongside their furry friends, we’ve highlighted the most (and least) pet-friendly states. We ranked according to pet population, rentals that allow pets, and laws that protect pets and prevent abuse.
To see our full state rankings, jump below.
We based half of our ranking on how easy it is for you and your pet to find a place to live alongside other pet-owning neighbors. In the other half of our weights, we considered which states had laws demonstrating compassion for pets and acting against animal abuse.
We ranked states on the following:
*Note: We omitted Alaska and Hawaii because not all data points were available. See our animal ranking-factor or law overview sections for more information.
See our full methodology for more information and insight on these ranking factors.
We’ll also go over other considerations like travel, shelters, and pandemic concerns that didn’t impact our ranking requirements but may be helpful for all the pet parents out there.
Whether you’re looking for ways to perk up your local pet community, or you’re finding a new home for you or your furry friends, let’s look at the most pet-friendly states in America.
Where’s the most dog-friendly place to live? Indiana ranks as the most pet-friendly state with a high pet population of 69.2%. Plus, nearly half (44.0%) of its apartments are pet-friendly. Indiana also has almost all of our “must-have” pet laws in place (aside from veterinary reporting requirements, which half of all the states lack too).
You’re also likely to find a fine place for you and your furry friends in Tennessee, North Carolina, Nevada, and Vermont, which all have plenty of pets among the population, a fair amount of pet-friendly rentals, and protective pet laws.
These states all have plenty of pets roaming around, a decent percentage of pet-friendly apartments, and animal safety laws that make it easier to own and protect dogs, cats, and other critters. Unfortunately, not every state makes pet ownership and animal protection a priority, as you’ll see in the lowest ranking states.
What makes a place the least pet-friendly place to live? A lower pet population, along with rentals that don’t allow pets, means fewer furry friends running around, and they’re less likely to be welcomed. And if animals don’t have legal protection, a state is less likely to prevent or bring justice to animal-related crimes.
Despite having a higher pet population percentage of 60.1%, New Mexico lacks all of our “must-have” pet laws, and only 15.9% of its available rentals are pet-friendly—that’s just over half the national average of 26.2%
Because of this, New Mexico may be the last place on your list of potential places to move with your pet—along with states like Montana, Connecticut, Idaho, and Iowa, which all have lower percentages of rentals and lack some of our desired pet protection laws.
If you’re a pet owner living in one of these states, it may be time to advocate for the changes necessary to make pets feel more at home.
Our rankings don’t reflect the spirit of kind-hearted people in these states or the lengths they’re willing to go through for their furry friends, but they do indicate what sort of legal or housing problems you may face.
We’ll go over the specifics of our rankings below and then provide more insight and tips about pet safety in the US.
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We ranked each state on the pet-friendly factors below. Alaska and Hawaii were omitted from the rankings because not all data points were available.
We normalized each measurement on a 0-1 scale, where 1 is positive for pet owners (more pet-friendly rentals, higher pet populations, and stricter animal laws) and 0 is negative. We added these measurements with different weights to get a score of 100 for ranking purposes.
We mainly considered dogs and cats, which are the most common pets.9 Other animals like reptiles, fish, birds, and more often fall into the “pet” category. However, these animals may not be treated like dogs and cats for rental requirements or protective animal laws. (You may want to double-check with your landlord about that komodo dragon first.)
More pet-friendly rentals means more options for pet owners’ living needs and budgets. We used Zillow Rental Data to analyze each state’s percentage of pet-friendly rentals.1
The following states had pet-friendly rental percentages of 44% or more:
If your state has fewer pet-friendly rentals, you can still find a place to live with your pet. But you’ll want to factor in more searching time between leases, as well as extra money for associated pet costs.
When pets are more common in a state, you're more likely to find pet playdates for your furry pal (and maybe even more businesses your pet is welcome inside). We used American Veterinary Medical Association data and found the average pet population percentage across America is 59.3%.2
(Note: Although this is a late 2018 report, it’s the most recent available data from the AVMA due to pandemic-related issues.)
The states with the highest pet populations neared 70% or more:
Some estimates put the pet population even higher: According to the 2021-2022 APPA National Pet Owners Survey, 70% of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to 90.5 million homes.10
Cars can be dangerous for pets after a while due to heat and a lack of food, water, or ventilation. Sometimes, bystanders feel compelled to break into the car to free the pet from the vehicle.
According to the Animal Legal and Historical Center, 31 states have laws that either prohibit leaving an animal confined in a vehicle under dangerous conditions or protect people who rescue distressed animals from vehicles.3
These laws require veterinarians to report signs of abuse or cruelty. Currently, only half of the states have veterinary reporting requirement laws, while other states may consider it a professional, rather than legal, responsibility.4
Pennsylvania stands out for requiring veterinarians to report animal cruelty inflicted by other veterinarians. Other reporting centers only require reporting for vet and patient relationships. (20 states require reporting in some form.)
The Animal Legal and Historical Center reports 14 states have no laws that require reporting by veterinary professionals. These states have voluntary or permissive reporting (meaning vets can break their patient confidentiality to report abuse).
Our furry friends don’t like being tethered up for long periods, stuck in harsh weather, or constricted to cruel collars. Currently, 22 states (and Washington, DC) have laws regarding these abusive and negligent practices.
We gathered this information from the Animal Legal and Historical Center.
Unfortunately, animal abuse from humans is a harsh reality that we can’t always prevent. Stricter anti-cruelty laws make it harder for abusers to own pets and potentially deter would-be abusers.
According to the Animal Legal and Historical Center, as many as 29 states impose possession bans that restrict future ownership of animals by those convicted.6
Animal-cruelty laws also include the sexual assault of animals. These laws can vary widely and often come with vague or weak restrictions. According to the Animal Legal Defense Fund, three states still don’t have any animal sexual assault laws: Wyoming, New Mexico, and West Virginia.7
The Animal Legal Defense Fund reports that any equipment possessed with the intent for animal fighting is considered illegal in 30 states and the US Virgin Islands.8
Some equipment is more evident, like blades that attach to roosters' legs or breaking sticks for prying dogs' jaws open. Animal fighting training devices like hot walkers and treadmills may also fall under animal fighting paraphernalia laws.
There’s a lot to consider when it comes to your pet companions, so we’ve highlighted other key components to pet-friendly living. And if there's something you want to change about your state's laws, contact your local legislators and work with animal rights organizations for better pet justice.
The Human Society estimates that there are 10,000 known puppy mills (and many more that are still unknown).11 On average, 500,000 dogs are kept solely for breeding purposes in all puppy mills, and 2.6 million puppy-mill-born puppies are sold every year.12
Meanwhile, 1.5 million dogs are euthanized in shelters each year because shelters are too full and there aren’t enough adoptive homes.
The Horrible Hundred report notes that despite efforts to reduce puppy mills, Missouri still has the largest number of puppy mills for the ninth year in a row, with 21 known mills. Ohio follows with 16 mills, then Iowa (11 mills), and Nebraska and Pennsylvania (8 mills each).
The term “no-kill” shelter isn’t always clear, but these shelters give pets evaluations and long-term care.13 As a general goal, they aim for at least a 90% threshold for adoption placement. Still, some pets may be euthanized depending on illness or behavior issues. No official organization or governing body regulates “no-kill” standards, so exact standards vary.
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), national euthanasia numbers likely double the rate of the “no-kill” requirement:14
The term “no-kill” shelter isn’t always clear, but these shelters give pets evaluations and long-term care.13 As a general goal, they aim for at least a 90% threshold for adoption placement. Still, some pets may be euthanized depending on illness or behavior issues. No official organization or governing body regulates “no-kill” standards, so exact standards vary.
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), national euthanasia numbers likely double the rate of the “no-kill” requirement:14
Having plenty of pet friends, places to live, and protections are all great, but being a pet parent entails a lot of responsibility.
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Info current as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Here are a few of the most relevant articles from our Pet Safety Archives to help you keep you and your pet safe:
Check pet policies before using any public or private travel service (like flights, taxis, rideshares, buses, trains, etc.). They may have special requirements or offer specialized services to keep your pet more comfortable during the journey. We break down more specific examples in our article on safe traveling tips for pets.
You’ll want to make a list of everything your pet regularly needs, including medications or treatments, along with travel accommodations, emergency supplies, and information about nearby pet clinics.
Some websites like Pet Friendly Travel or Bring Fido help you find pet-friendly places to stay, parks and trails to explore, services, events, and user ratings. You can also check for nearby veterinary services to help prepare if your pet has known conditions.
The pandemic rippled out into the pet population in various ways, like changes in their owners’ incomes or housing statuses, which could affect ownership capabilities. But with remote work and more time at home, more people also found themselves wanting a cute companion.
Here’s how the pandemic affected pet ownership:
Luckily, the prospect of returning to the office doesn’t seem to signify the end of our critter companionship for most folks, either. But when it comes to taking care of pets, the pandemic posed other problems:
Regarding pet health and safety, we recommend consulting your veterinarian for pet-specific advice and monitoring their basic vitals. And always keep an emergency vet's phone number and location visible on your fridge.
Find your state in the table below to see how it ranks in this year’s analysis.
We ranked states on seven different factors to find which ones have proper measures in place to protect animals. Each measurement was normalized on a 0-1 scale with 1 corresponding to the measurement that would most positively affect the final score and 0 corresponding to the measurement that would most negatively affect the final score. These adjusted measurements were then added together with the weights mentioned below to get a score of 100.
Each state was ranked based on the factors below:
*Note: Alaska and Hawaii were omitted from the rankings because not all data points were available.
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