- Colorado leads the pack as the most dog-loving state, with more than 10,000 residents per month Googling ‘dog toys’ and ‘dog grooming.’
- Idaho takes second place, boasting the highest percentage of dog owners, with more than 58% of its population owning a canine companion.
- Wyoming has the highest number of dog parks per 100,000 residents and ranks seventh overall.
We analyzed several factors to uncover which states are most obsessed with their canine companion. Per 100,000 residents, they looked at the number of monthly Google searches for ‘dog grooming’ and ‘dog toys,’ the number of dog parks, the number of dog owners as well as the number of dog-friendly long-term home rentals.
Each state was awarded a total score out of 50, with the highest-ranking state earning the title of ‘the most dog-loving state.’
Colorado took the top spot as the most dog-loving state in America. This state scored higher than any other, with 39.3 points out of 50, and had the highest combined number of searches for “dog grooming” and “dog toys” at 186 monthly searches per 100,000 residents, or approximately 10,800 total searches per month.
47.2% of citizens in this state were found to own a dog and it also ranked third overall for dog-friendly home rentals, with 53 per 100,000 citizens. Additionally, Colorado was found to have a total of 110 dog parks across the state, equating to 1.87 parks per 100,000 residents, 16.8% higher than the national average of 1.6.
Idaho is the second most dog-loving state in America. The study revealed that the state has the highest number of dog owners per 100,000 residents at approximately 58,300, or 58% of the population owning a dog, far exceeding the 39.4% national average.
For every 100,000 citizens in this state, there are 121 searches for “dog grooming” and “dog toys” monthly, and around 26 dog-friendly home rentals. When divided across the population of Idaho, its 33 dog parks equate to 1.67 parks per 100,000 residents.
Arizona ranked third overall, offering some of the highest rates of dog-friendly home rentals, at 50 per 100,000 residents, beating the national average of 20.6 by more than 142%. The state also sees 146 monthly searches per 100,000 residents for the terms “dog grooming” and “dog toys,” ranking fifth highest for this factor. Across The Grand Canyon State, 43% of people own a dog, and when compared to its population, its 99 dog parks equate to 1.3 parks per 100,000 residents.
Florida ranked as the fourth most dog-loving state, boasting the highest rate of dog-friendly home rentals at 54 per 100,000 citizens, 163% above the national average of 20.6. The state was found to offer similar ownership rates to the national average, with 39.8% of Floridians owning a pet dog. Florida was found to have 320 dog parks, which accounting for the state’s larger population, works out to be 1.4 dog parks per 100,000 residents.
Nevada ranked fifth overall, and had the second-highest number of residents making dog care searches, at 160 monthly searches per 100,000 residents. 36% of people in the state were found to own a dog, and the 13 dog parks surveyed equate to an above-average 1.7 dog parks per 100,000 citizens. The Silver State also ranked high for access to dog-friendly home rentals, coming in 101% above the national average.
Washington earned the sixth spot. The Evergreen State sees 42.8% of residents own a dog and has the third-highest number of searches for “dog grooming” and “dog toys” in America. When calculated across 100,000 residents, the state offers 1.7 dog parks and 26 dog-friendly home rentals.
Wyoming ranks seventh and has the highest ratio of dog parks compared to its population, at 5.4 parks per 100,000 citizens, far exceeding the national average of 1.66. This Equality State also sees more than 90 searches per 100,000 citizens each month for the terms “dog grooming” and “dog toys.”
Oregon ranks eighth overall. The state boasts a 37.8% dog ownership rate and ranks fifth best for dog parks, with nearly three dog parks per 100,000 citizens. The Beaver State also had above average dog-friendly home rental listings, with 22.5 per 100,000 citizens.
Tennessee, which ranked ninth overall, offered approximately 33 dog-friendly home rentals per 100,000 residents, with 47% of its population found to own a canine companion. The state was found to have below average access to dog parks however, with 1.2 per 100,000 residents.
Rounding off the top ten is Georgia which offers the second-highest number of dog-friendly home rentals, at 53.3 per 100,000 residents, 158.7% higher than the national average. The Peach State clocks in 53 searches per 100,000 residents for ‘dog grooming’ and ‘dog toys’ on Google each month and is home to 114 dog parks, the equivalent of 1.03 dog parks per 100,000 residents.
| Rank | State | Number of Monthly Searches For "Dog Grooming" and "Dog Toys" Per 100K Residents | Percentage of Residents Who Own a Dog | Dog Parks Per 100K Residents | Dog-Friendly Rentals Per 100K Residents | Total Points Out Of 50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado | 186.2 | 47.2% | 1.87 | 52.76 | 39.3 |
| 2 | Idaho | 121.1 | 58.3% | 1.67 | 25.94 | 34.3 |
| 3 | Arizona | 146.0 | 43.0% | 1.33 | 49.98 | 34.2 |
| 4 | Florida | 109.9 | 39.8% | 1.41 | 54.28 | 32.1 |
| 5 | Nevada | 158.5 | 36.8% | 1.78 | 41.54 | 32 |
| 6 | Washington | 149.2 | 42.8% | 1.70 | 26.47 | 30.7 |
| 7 | Wyoming | 90.6 | 36.0% | 5.49 | 14.40 | 29.9 |
| 8 | Oregon | 138.7 | 37.8% | 2.86 | 22.56 | 29.8 |
| 9 | Tennessee | 91.8 | 47.0% | 1.26 | 32.93 | 29.4 |
| 10 | Georgia | 95.3 | 36.7% | 1.03 | 53.32 | 29.4 |
| 11 | Texas | 122.5 | 43.4% | 0.84 | 34.09 | 29.3 |
| 12 | Oklahoma | 99.1 | 47.7% | 1.06 | 27.25 | 28.6 |
| 13 | North Carolina | 101.5 | 41.3% | 1.22 | 35.95 | 28.5 |
| 14 | Montana | 92.7 | 51.9% | 2.19 | 6.67 | 28 |
| 15 | Indiana | 87.4 | 49.4% | 1.17 | 22.47 | 27.9 |
| 16 | Missouri | 91.8 | 45.1% | 1.24 | 27.34 | 27.7 |
| 17 | Utah | 149.0 | 36.2% | 1.58 | 22.82 | 27.5 |
| 18 | New Mexico | 111.0 | 39.4% | 3.03 | 10.09 | 26.9 |
| 19 | South Carolina | 82.4 | 45.3% | 1.55 | 21.84 | 26.8 |
| 20 | Nebraska | 100.7 | 47.1% | 1.42 | 13.08 | 26.6 |
| 21 | North Dakota | 86.5 | 44.3% | 2.05 | 16.14 | 26.6 |
| 22 | Arkansas | 80.0 | 51.6% | 0.98 | 14.17 | 26.4 |
| 23 | Kansas | 92.6 | 43.1% | 1.40 | 21.49 | 26.3 |
| 24 | California | 124.0 | 40.1% | 1.43 | 17.17 | 26.2 |
| 25 | Alabama | 71.8 | 47.4% | 0.98 | 21.26 | 25.8 |
| 26 | Kentucky | 78.5 | 46.5% | 1.20 | 12.08 | 24.6 |
| 27 | Mississippi | 47.8 | 51.0% | 0.85 | 15.66 | 24.5 |
| 28 | South Dakota | 79.8 | 32.1% | 3.68 | 13.10 | 24.4 |
| 29 | Minnesota | 91.2 | 35.5% | 1.92 | 20.65 | 24.4 |
| 30 | West Virginia | 62.0 | 49.6% | 1.59 | 5.61 | 24.3 |
| 31 | Alaska | 95.1 | 44.3% | 1.64 | 4.50 | 24.1 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | 82.1 | 38.9% | 1.17 | 22.36 | 24.0 |
| 33 | Vermont | 75.9 | 28.3% | 4.64 | 8.50 | 23.8 |
| 34 | Massachusetts | 96.1 | 28.9% | 1.73 | 29.49 | 23.7 |
| 35 | Michigan | 99.7 | 41.9% | 1.07 | 9.79 | 23.5 |
| 36 | Virginia | 95.3 | 35.6% | 1.69 | 15.16 | 23.2 |
| 37 | Illinois | 106.8 | 31.0% | 1.07 | 24.68 | 22.9 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | 88.2 | 33.6% | 2.35 | 12.14 | 22.8 |
| 39 | Ohio | 89.7 | 37.9% | 1.16 | 15.24 | 22.7 |
| 40 | Delaware | 77.4 | 42.2% | 1.36 | 7.75 | 22.5 |
| 41 | New York | 106.3 | 27.0% | 1.00 | 28.16 | 22 |
| 42 | Maine | 80.5 | 35.9% | 2.01 | 7.18 | 21.6 |
| 43 | Louisiana | 64.2 | 38.3% | 0.70 | 19.46 | 21.5 |
| 44 | Iowa | 73.8 | 36.3% | 1.19 | 14.20 | 21.2 |
| 45 | Rhode Island | 84.2 | 25.8% | 2.29 | 12.38 | 19.8 |
| 46 | Maryland | 81.8 | 30.2% | 0.93 | 15.47 | 19.3 |
| 47 | New Jersey | 94.1 | 29.1% | 1.34 | 9.57 | 19.2 |
| 48 | Connecticut | 87.5 | 24% | 1.65 | 8.82 | 17.6 |
| 49 | New Hampshire | 75.7 | 23.7% | 1.71 | 5.49 | 16.3 |
| 50 | Hawaii | 61.6 | 23.7% | 0.98 | 8.93 | 14.9 |
Methodology: Each state was evaluated on a score out of 50 points based on key metrics. Up to 10 points were awarded for: Google searches for “dog grooming” and “dog toys,” dog owners per 100k residents, dog parks per capita, and dog-friendly long-term home rentals listed on Zillow. The metric for dog owners per capita was weighted 2x for its importance, giving the metric a maximum score of 20. Each metric score was tallied up to reveal an overall winner.
Sources: Google Keyword Planner, WorldPopulationReview.com, AVMA.org, TPL.org, BringFido.com, Zillow.com.
Tom
Tom has always loved to write since he was little - he wanted to be either a writer or a veterinary doctor, but he ended up being a professional writer while most of his works are based on animals. He was born in San Francisco but later moved to Texas to continue his job as a writer. He graduated from the University of San Francisco where he studied biotechnology. He is happily married and a soon to be father!
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