St. Pete Ranks 7th As 'Most Pet Friendly City' In U.S.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — St. Petersburg ranks No. 7 as "2021's Most Pet-Friendly Cities" in the United States, according to a recent WalletHub report. Our neighbors in Tampa are ranked No. 2.

The study was based on 23 key metrics, which included veterinary care costs, pet insurance premiums, walk score and animal shelters per capita.

St. Pete's Total Score: 58

Pet-Friendliness of St. Pete (1=Most Pet-Friendly; 50=Avg.):

• 44th – Veterinary Care Costs
• 44th – Dog Insurance Premium
• 25th – Veterinarians per Capita
• 3rd – Pet Businesses per Capita
• 28th – Dog-Friendly Restaurants per Capita
• 32nd – Dog Parks per Capita
• 44th – Walk Score
• 49th – Animal Shelters per Capita

The company evaluated the above 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.

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)

For more information, visit WalletHub.