House hunting is challenging in today’s market—no matter whether you’re buying or renting. Despite high rental prices, today’s top concern for renters is finding a home where they can bring their furry friend.
Indeed, twice as many renters filter for pet-friendly listings than for any other amenity in the 25 largest rental markets across the U.S., according to a study released Thursday by Bark and Zillow. That means renters are first filtering for “pets allowed” apartments ahead of what some people may see as necessities, such as a washer and dryer, parking, or a dishwasher. The only city in the U.S. that doesn’t match this trend is New York City, where renters’ most-used filter for apartment hunting is an in-unit washer and dryer.
Zillow and Bark’s findings seem to indicate changing sentiments among those with pets. Nearly all U.S. pet owners say their pets are part of the family, according to a July 2023 Pew Research Center survey—so it’s not really all that surprising that people would consider their pet’s needs when house hunting. Zillow data shows that 59% of renters have at least one pet, with 40% having a dog in 2023.
“When people are on Zillow, and they’re looking to buy or rent their next home, just as much as they’re thinking about the school district, or the walkability score, or taxes, [they’re also considering how] it will be for their dog,” Dave Stangle, vice president of marketing for Bark, tells Fortune. “What the most dog-friendly places are is top of mind.”
The most dog-friendly cities in the U.S.
For their combined study, Zillow and Bark developed a weighted index using two key data points: Zillow data on pet-friendly rentals in the largest U.S. cities by population size and BarkBox and Super Chewer subscription data. Zillow also tracked the percentage of apartments that included a “pets allowed” filter. BarkBox looked at 13 years of information from its subscription data.
Taking those factors into account, the top three pet-friendly cities all happened to be in the same state: Texas. In Dallas, 79% of rentals allow pets, while 77% of Austin listings do the same. San Antonio came in as the third-most-friendly dog city in the U.S., with 75% of rentals being pet-friendly. The remaining cities in the top 10 (which all exceeded the national average of 55%) include Charlotte, Indianapolis, Denver, New York City, Phoenix, Seattle, and Jacksonville.
Emily McDonald, a communications manager with Zillow, tells Fortune that these findings weren’t that surprising considering the high density of new construction rentals in these markets. As having a pet has grown in popularity—particularly in the pandemic and post-pandemic era—more renters are on the hunt for apartment buildings that not only are pet-friendly, but include pet amenities such as dog runs and grooming stations.
“These apartment buildings … want renters to fill these vacancies [and] need to make sure [they] allow pets,” McDonald says. “Yes, you could find an apartment or a rental that allows pets, but knowing that you’re going to be in a place [where] other people are pet parents and love their dogs—and there’s a community dog run and dogs for your dog to play with—is a piece of this.”
This also goes along with a trend that Bark is seeing in which pet parents are spending more on their pets for premium care—not just utilitarian items such as food—including pet-friendly hotels and other travel-related line items like flying with your dog.
“You’re seeing an increased spend a lot of times on more premium things,” Stangle says. “So we follow a mix between consumer spending and also consumer behavior. Like in Bend, Oregon, the lifestyle of a half-wolf dog is going to be a lot different than a Frenchie named Bella in Brooklyn.” Bella—by far—is actually the most popular dog name in the U.S., according to the Zillow and Bark study, with other top contenders being Bailey, Charlie, and Bear.
What pet parents should consider when moving
While many rentals are listed as being pet-friendly, some properties have breed and size restrictions for pets. Plus, some housing markets are simply more suitable for particular breeds. In other words, it’s simpler and easier to have a smaller breed in a housing market like New York City where space is limited—but in Western housing markets like Denver and Seattle, having a larger dog is more reasonable.
Indeed, the most popular dog breed in New York City is a French bulldog, while Labrador retrievers and golden retrievers reign supreme in Dallas and Austin. Meanwhile, American pit bull terriers and Australian shepherds are particularly popular in Phoenix, Seattle, and Jacksonville.
For pet parents on the apartment hunt, McDonald suggests leaning on Zillow’s filters to help ease the process.
It would be unfortunate “getting your hopes up or falling in love with an apartment to learn [you] can’t bring your beloved pet,” she says. “So definitely use the filters.”
