DALLAS — If you had to guess the most pet-friendly city in the country, what would you guess? Would it surprise you that the top three cities are all in the Lone Star State?
According to Zillow, the most pet-friendly city in America is Austin, Texas, followed by Dallas, Texas and Fort Worth, Texas. More than 80% of rental listings in Austin allow pets, according to Zillow. In Dallas, slightly dips to 78%. For Fort Worth rentals, pets are allowed in 77.2% of listings.
This makes the cities more attractive to renters, who are showing an increasing number of pet ownership. Zillow's Consumer Home Trends Report says 59% of renters in 2022 reported having at least one pet, up from 46% in 2019.
"As more people started working from home, pet ownership soared during the pandemic," said Amanda Pendleton, Zillow's home trends expert. "Pets are widely considered part of the American family, so it makes sense that they factor into moving decisions and impact housing preferences. Renters with pets who are planning to sign a new lease this year face even stiffer competition because they are limited to apartments where their furry friends are allowed. This data shows us that in certain cities, pet-friendly apartments are easier to find."
Zillow officials also said that the "pet-friendly filter" is among its most used for renters on their website. Twice as many potential renters filter for pet-friendly listings than for any other amenity on the site, they said.
In all, more than half (55.1%) of rental listings on Zillow indicated they allow pets, analyzing thousands of its single-family and apartment rental listings.
Here is a breakdown of the top 10 most pet-friendly cities for renters:
- Austin, Texas – 80.8% of rental listings allow pets
- Dallas, Texas – 78.0%
- Fort Worth, Texas – 77.2%
- Charlotte, North Carolina – 76.6%
- Denver, Colorado – 76.5%
- San Antonio, Texas – 75.8%
- Indianapolis, Indiana – 74.7%
- Kansas City, Missouri – 73.4%
- Seattle, Washington – 73.1%
- New York City – 72.2%
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