JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville landed in the middle of the pack in a new ranking of the most pet-friendly cities in the country.
Coming in at No. 54 among the 100 largest U.S. cities, Jacksonville was evaluated as part of WalletHub’s 2026 Most Pet-Friendly Cities study using 23 metrics tied to pet ownership costs, access to care and outdoor amenities.
WalletHub grouped the metrics into three categories: pet budget, pet health and wellness and outdoor pet-friendliness. The measures included veterinary costs, pet insurance premiums, pet care providers, animal shelters, veterinarians, pet-friendly businesses, dog parks, walkability and weather, among other factors.
Jacksonville received a total score of 50.56 out of 100. Its strongest showing was affordability, ranking No. 21 in the country for pet budget. The city ranked considerably lower in the other two categories, coming in at No. 71 for both pet health and wellness and outdoor pet-friendliness.
Jacksonville was one of six Florida cities included in the ranking, but three cities in the state cracked the top 10.
Tampa ranked No. 2 nationwide with a score of 63.51, behind Scottsdale, Arizona. Orlando followed at No. 4, while St. Petersburg ranked No. 6.
Miami came in at No. 43, followed by Jacksonville at No. 54 and Hialeah at No. 69.
Tampa’s ranked No. 8 for pet health and wellness and No. 15 for outdoor pet-friendliness. Orlando ranked No. 7 for pet health and wellness, while St. Petersburg ranked No. 12 in the category.
Jacksonville, by comparison, ranked higher on affordability than on measures related to pet care and outdoor pet-friendliness. Its No. 21 pet budget ranking was the best among its three categories and placed it ahead of each of the three Florida cities that finished in the national top 10 on that measure.
Scottsdale was named the most pet-friendly city in the country, followed by Tampa, Las Vegas, Orlando and Cincinnati.
