A new report ranks the best U.S. cities where dogs — and the people who love them — live best together.
An analysis from LawnStarter, a nationwide lawn-care company, ranks how well 500 U.S. cities support day-to-day life with a dog.
LawnStarter evaluated 500 cities across 37 metrics, building its rankings from five broad inputs meant to capture how a city actually works for a household with a dog:
- Care: Availability of vets, 24-hour emergency clinics and routine pet services.
- Community: Access to dog parks, trails, shelters and the rules that shape public life with a dog.
- Business: How many commercial spaces — hotels, restaurants, shops — actually allow dogs.
- Housing: How well the local housing stock fits dogs, including yard potential and pet-friendly rentals.
- Affordability: What basic pet care costs relative to local income.
Taken together, the measures map the conditions that shape daily life with a dog and help explain why the cities on this list surface where they do — starting with the home you end up in.
The top 10 cities for dog lovers in 2025
10. Bend, Ore.
Bend’s dog amenities are heavily concentrated in its park system. Bend Park & Recreation reports nine designated off-leash areas in local parks, including the Bob Wenger Memorial Off-Leash Area at Pine Nursery — an 18.8 acre fenced zone with internal trails, turf and a separate small-dog section — and a fenced off-leash area at Riverbend Park with access to the Deschutes River.
With the second-highest median sale price in the top 10 — about $760,000 as of October 2025, according to Redfin — the upside of this high-cost mountain market for dog-owning households is less the space inside the house than the the amount of off-leash acreage and trail access that comes with the city once you live there.
9. Raleigh, N.C.
Raleigh stands out for its scale and connectivity — particularly because of its greenway system, which gives dog owners more continuous, usable walking space than most cities its size. More than 100 miles of connected paths give owners safe, separated routes that run through neighborhoods, tie into parks and stay usable in every season.
It’s one of the few fast-growing cities where you can live in very different parts of town and still have reliable, walkable dog access built into the layout.
Redfin puts the median sale price around $437,000, which keeps single-family homes and townhouses within reach for many buyers. For dog owners, that means location decisions can realistically factor in greenway access or proximity to a park — the kind of quality-of-life detail that’s still attainable in a market like Raleigh’s.
8. Santa Monica, Calif.
Santa Monica manages to concentrate a lot of dog infrastructure into a dense, walkable grid. Off-leash spaces are formal, frequent and maintained. Leashed routes along the waterfront fold dogs into the city’s daily flow, and local agencies treat dog infrastructure as part of standard civic planning rather than an add-on.
With a median sale price around $1.75 million, according to Redfin data, Santa Monica stands firmly in luxury territory, where yards are rare and most dog owners lean on the city’s tight network of parks and walkable streets. The ranking reflects that balance: excellent infrastructure in a market where space comes at a premium.
7. Orlando, Fla.
Orlando shows up high because the region has been building around master-planned living for decades, and dogs fit neatly into that framework. Even the tourism office now folds pets into its official materials, reflecting a place where dog-friendly spaces are part of the standard offering — not an add-on.
With a median sale price in the low-$400,000s, — about $423,000 as of October 2025, per Redfin — Orlando sits below South Florida pricing, but they continue to rise as the metro expands. Newer communities and apartment complexes now treat dog parks and pet amenities as default features, and the Central Florida rental market shows thousands of pet-friendly units: a clear sign that housing here is being built around the expectation that a dog is part of the household.
6. Wilmington, N.C.
Wilmington gives dog owners a reasonable chance at finding a place where they can live without much compromise: older neighborhoods with workable yards or newer developments that still include outdoor space.
On the real estate side, Wilmington sits in the middle for being a coastal city, with a median sale price of $439,000, according to recent Redfin data. It’s a beach-adjacent city that hasn’t fully priced out first-time buyers with dogs, giving them a realistic shot at a small yard or fenced lot instead of being locked into high-rise living.
5. Santa Fe, N.M.
Santa Fe is built for people who want their dog in the picture as much as the view. The city’s trail system, plazas and patio culture keep errands and walks within a small radius, so daily outings rarely run into logistical problems.
With a median sale price of around $582,000 as of October 2025, per Redfin, Santa Fe sits at destination-market levels — and the housing stock is feeling that pressure. Buyers can get scenery, access and a dog-forward lifestyle, but the price band is significantly higher than typical mid-sized Western cities.
4. New York, N.Y.
New York ranking in the top 5 makes sense for a city that’s learned how to make apartment and small-space living work with dogs. The most recent Housing and Vacancy Survey data, cited by city officials, suggests about 15% of New York City households have a dog — a large (paw)print for a place where space is the main constraint.
Central Park alone publishes its own “Dog’s Guide,” with off-leash hours and mapped routes layered on top of regular park rules, which shows normalized dogs are in the city’s public space.
Redfin’s data put New York City’s median sale price in the mid-$800,000s, with far lower prices in many outer-borough co-ops and condos than in the seven-figure apartments and townhouses in Manhattan and brownstone Brooklyn. For dog owners looking to buy, it comes down to where you land within that price range and whether you expect to rely more on big parks, local dog runs, or just a regular sidewalk loop.
3. Scottsdale, Ariz.
WalletHub recently ranked Scottsdale the most pet-friendly city in the country, and it’s not a stretch: This is a high-sun, higher-price market where public dog parks, walking paths and pet-focused services are easy to find across the same neighborhoods people are actually buying into.
On the housing side, Redfin’s data has Scottsdale’s median sale price at about $860,000 as of Oct 2025 — well above the U.S. and Arizona medians. For buyers with dogs, you’re looking at a higher-cost market where the question isn’t whether the city is set up for dogs — it clearly is — but whether your budget lands you in the part of town that gives you — and your dog — the space and access you both want.
2. Asheville, N.C.
Asheville’s high placement on the list tracks with its status as one of the easier places in North Carolina to line up a house and a dog in the same search: The city’s parks, greenways and patio culture mean regular walks, vet runs and neighborhood errands stay close to home instead of turning into a full-day event.
For dog owners, the official infrastructure (parks, greenways) and the private sector (breweries, bars, coffee shops) are already aligned around the idea that the pup is coming along.
Redfin puts Asheville’s median sale price around $408,000 as of October 2025 — a higher price band than the state overall, and one that reflects “mountain town” demand more than small-city pricing. Space, trails and an abundance of dog-friendly spots are all on the table, but you’ll have to pay closer to destination-market numbers to get them.
1. Frederick, Md.
Frederick is one of the easier places to shop for a house with a dog in mind: The city is set up so you’re rarely stuck for places to exercise your dog, find care or have them with you wherever you go.
Homes here sell for around $450,000 according to Redfin data from October 2025 — a range that keeps yards and proximity to trails realistic without tipping into big-metro costs. It’s a small city where space, price and access all stay within reach for people who expect a dog to be part of everyday life.
This is a place where you can plan an afternoon — coffee, dinner or even a “w-a-l-k” — without ever having to leave your dog at home.
