When it comes to having a favorite pet, the divide between dog lovers and cat lovers stretches deep into the housing market.
At least 54 million American households have at least one dog and 43 million households that have at least one cat, according to the Humane Society of the United States. With that in mind, Realtor.com analyzed the nation’s 150 largest metros to determine
the best markets for dog- and cat-lovers, based on the percentage of single-family homes with dog or cat-related home features, pet services per capita, veterinarians per capita and rental listings that allow pets; for the canine crowd, the analysis included dog walkers per capita and the ercentage of restaurants that allow dogs to join the diners.
For the dog lovers, the Texas capital of Austin was top rated, thanks to a dog ownership rate of 44 percent and a median home list price of $372,000. Rounding out the top five markets for dog lovers was Reno, Nev. (a 37.1 percent dog ownership rate and a median home list price of $422,500), Salinas, Calif. (a dog ownership rate of 32.8 percent and a median home list price of $904,500), Denver (a dog ownership rate of 42.5 percent and a median home list price of $499,500) and Portland, Ore., (a dog ownership rate of 38.8 percent and a median home list price of $450,000).
For the feline fanciers, New York’s capital of Albany was the top cat city, with an ownership rate of 29.1 percent and a median home list price of $422,500. Eugene, Ore., rated second with a cat ownership rate ownership rate of 40.2 percent and a median home list price of $325,000, followed by Seattle (a cat ownership rate of 39 percent and a median home list price of $485,000), Portland, Maine (a cat ownership rate of 46.4 percent and a median home list price of $340,000) and Manchester, N.H. (a cat ownership rate of 34.2 percent and a median home list price of $314,900).
As for the best housing markets for those with pet fish, birds, hamsters, ferrets, snakes or lizards—well, you’ll have to wait for another housing report.
