Lower costs and larger spaces have been major drivers of home sales in the past year, but a less-discussed one revolves around the furriest members of American families: pet parents making a move for their dogs’ sake, according to a just-released survey from Zillow and Rover revealing the Top Emerging Dog-Friendly Cities for 2021.
Pet adoptions boomed during the pandemic, with nearly half (49%) of Americans welcoming a new dog into their homes since March 2020, Rover said. Not coincidentally, said the Rover and Zillow survey, 24% of dog owners in the U.S. have moved into a new home since March 2020, and 62% would consider moving to a new home to better accommodate their dog.
“Home became more important than ever during the pandemic, sparking the Great Reshuffling. As we rethink where and how we want to live, we’re reevaluating what we want and need in a home in this new normal. For many families, that includes considering what’s best for their four-legged family members,” said Amanda Pendleton, Zillow home trends expert. “Homes with a doghouse sold for 3% more than expected last year, while homes with a fenced yard or dog run sold a few days faster than similar homes without these features, even in a year where the market was moving exceptionally fast.”
To create the list of Top Emerging Dog-Friendly Cities for 2021, Rover looked at new dog accounts on their platform, whether from dog owners new to the area or longtime residents with a newly adopted dog, and Zillow dug into cities where dog-friendly rentals and listings mentioning home features dog owners covet are on the rise.
The top 15 emerging dog-friendly cities were: Denver, Colorado; Orlando, Florida; Anaheim, California; Charlotte, North Carolina; Birmingham, Alabama; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston, Massachusetts; Glendale, Arizona; New Orleans, Louisiana; Tampa, Florida; Fayetteville, North Carolina; Fort Worth, Texas; Miami, Florida; Nashville, Tennessee and Saint Petersburg, Florida.
Cats were also a factor. Of the people who adopted a pet in the last year, 53% brought home a dog, and 32% took home a cat. Fourteen percent adopted both.
