Nearly three-quarters (72%) of dog parents would consider moving to a home that better suits their dog’s needs, according to a new survey out by Zillow and Rover that shows that pets are driving housing decisions. The two companies recently teamed up to determine the top 20 U.S. cities attracting dog parents, with Antioch, Tennessee, taking the top spot, according to the report.
Additional findings from the survey:
- 61% of recent homeowners and 57% of renters are pet owners, underscoring the impact this demographic has on overall national housing demand (previous Zillow data shows)
- The fastest-growing dog-friendly city in the country is Antioch, Tennessee, near Nashville.
- Nearly three-quarters of U.S. dog owners report they would consider moving to a home that better suits their dog’s needs.
- Just over half of dog owners find it challenging to find a dog-friendly rental.
To find the fastest-growing dog-friendly cities, Rover and Zillow considered newly registered dog-owner accounts from Rover’s database of millions of pet profiles, together with Zillow page views of pet-friendly single-family home rental listings, the report stated.
Top-10 fastest-emerging dog-friendly cities:
- Antioch, Tennessee
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Alexandria, Virginia
- Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina
- Kansas City, Kansas
- Cumming, Georgia
- Bellevue, Washington
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Palo Alto, California
- Charleston, South Carolina
The takeaway:
“We saw pandemic pet ownership soar among renters, which has impacted their home preferences,” said Amanda Pendleton, Zillow’s home trends expert. “More renters now report owning at least one pet, compared to 2020. Like recent movers on the whole, they appear to be seeking out more space and relative affordability in places where they can get a fenced backyard or room for a doghouse.”
“It’s clear our pets are at the center of our families, and they’re influencing how and where we live,” said Kate Jaffe, trends expert at Rover. “Pet parents want to do right by their dogs, including giving them the best resources and opportunities to be happy. At the same time, people have realized that pets can improve our own health and wellbeing. Moving to a location with a big backyard and proximity to a park can not only improve our pet’s life–it may also lead to more exercise, more outdoor time and more social interaction that can actually make an impact on our own happiness.”
To read the full report, click here.
