3 FL Cities Among The ‘Most Pet-Friendly’ In The U.S., New Ranking Says

Three Florida cities are among the top 10 in the new 2026 “Most Pet-Friendly Cities” list from WalletHub.

With 95 million U.S. households including pets, WalletHub compared the country’s 100 largest cities across 23 key metrics, including veterinarian costs, the number of pet businesses per capita and walkability.

While Scottsdale, Arizona, took the No. 1 spot, the following Florida cities ranked high:

• No. 2 - Tampa
• No. 4 - Orlando
• No. 6 - St. Petersburg

Find the full ranking here.

“Tampa is the second-best city for pet owners, ranking among the top cities in the country when it comes to animal shelters per capita. That’s great news for anyone who wants to ‘adopt, not shop.’ Tampa also offers great choices for animal health care, with a very high number of veterinarians per capita,” according to WalletHub.

Nearly 89 percent of rental listings in the city allow pets, and there’s also a high number of doggie daycares and boarding establishments per capita.

“To top things off, Tampa has the 10th-most dog parks per capita, and a very large number of dog-friendly restaurants, so it’s easy to go on a fun outing with your canine companion. Tampa ranks in the 15 least-expensive cities for vet and pet care provider costs, too,” according to the list.