This North Carolina city ranks as one of nation’s best to have pets. Why it’s special

Simone Jasper

North Carolina is home to one of the nation’s best places to have pets, a new report finds.

Raleigh ranks No. 9 on a list of cities offering access to parks, vet care and other amenities that cater to furry friends and their owners, according to results published May 30 from CoworkingCafe.

The website — part of the real-estate technology company Yardi — said it created the list of top pet-friendly cities after studying 100 places across the country. The cities selected were included in Trust for Public Land reports, which was relevant “given that five metrics in our index were park-related,” CoworkingCafe told McClatchy News in an email.

Using data from the Trust for Public Land, the U.S. government and other sources, analysts scored each city when it came to the presence of parks, ideal weather conditions, veterinarians, and pet-friendly apartment and coworking spaces.

Genny and Cho scrap for a stick at the Millbrook Exchange Dog Park in Raleigh on Friday, March 18, 2022. The park has separate play areas for small and large dogs.
Genny and Cho scrap for a stick at the Millbrook Exchange Dog Park in Raleigh on Friday, March 18, 2022. The park has separate play areas for small and large dogs.

Raleigh received a nod for having some of the most pet-related jobs, but the praise didn’t end there.

“The City of Oaks stood out due to its high number of veterinary and pet care establishments, with a total of 332,” CoworkingCafe wrote in its report. “Yet another perk for both pets and owners is that Raleigh scored highly for air quality and also took a top position in terms of park spending per capita, highlighting a clear interest and care toward parks and green areas around the city.”

Raleigh was the only place in North Carolina to land in the top 10. Also on the list were Durham at No. 26; Charlotte at No. 46; Greensboro at No. 60; and Winston-Salem at No. 71.

The results come after Raleigh was named a top place for a range of people to call home, including families, retirees and college students. And for pet lovers who are curious, one recent list found Bella was the most popular dog name in North Carolina, while Luna was No. 1 for cats.

On the latest list, CoworkingCafe said the best city for pet owners was Seattle. Rounding out the top five:

  • Madison, Wisconsin

  • Lexington, Kentucky

  • Portland, Oregon

  • Des Moines, Iowa

Landing at the bottom of the list was Santa Ana, California, roughly 30 miles from Los Angeles.

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