These Are Most Pet-Friendly Cities Across the U.S. in 2020

I love living in New York City, but if the time comes to pack up and settle in a more suitable place for raising the 80lb English labrador of my dreams, I've gotta choose a home where it's actually manageable to do so. Fortunately, WalletHub has rounded up the top pet-friendly cities across the US so we can narrow our search to the best of the best.

Analyzing 100 different cities across the map with 25 key metrics in mind, the personal finance site compiled a list of the places with minimum pet-care provider rates, the most pet businesses per capita, walkability, even restaurants where you can bring Fido along. The three main factors included pet budget, pet health & wellness, and outdoor pet-friendliness, according to the site.

Here are the top 20 cities: 

1. Tampa, Florida 
2. Austin, Texas
3. Las Vegas, Nevada
4. Orlando, Florida
5. Seattle, Washington 
6. St. Louis, Missouri 
7. Atlanta, Georgia 
8. New Orleans, Louisiana 
9. Birmingham, Alabama 
10. San Diego, California 
11. Cincinnati, Ohio 
12. Scottsdale, Arizona 
13. Boise, Idaho 
14. Portland, Oregon 
15. Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky 
16. Miami, Florida
17. Nashville, Tennessee
18. Houston, Texas 
19. Corpus Christi, Texas 
20. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 

WalletHub went on to break down a few important factors, comparing the best and worst places for each, including veterinary costs, insurance premiums, veterinarians per capita, pet businesses per capita, dog-friendly restaurants per capita, most dog parks, and most animal shelters.

While it's definitely something to consider when adopting, at the end of the day, your furry, four-legged child won't care if your NYC neighborhood has less pet-friendly restaurants than Seattle. Though, your wallet might if those grooming and vet bills are more expensive than your already egregious rent. 

Sign up here for our daily Thrillist email and subscribe here for our YouTube channel to get your fix of the best in food/drink/fun.