Are you living—or practicing—in one of the cities ranked as best for dogs’ well-being? The results of a new study will help you find out.
A new research conducted by USA TODAY Blueprint, the finance section of USA Today, has revealed Seattle, WA as the best city for dogs’ well-being, with the availability of veterinary offices, parks, and high walkability score. Portland, OR, comes in second for its dog parks; and third is San Francisco, CA, where all residents have a park within a short 10-minute stroll.
The top 10 cities for a happy and healthy dog are as followed:
| Rank | City | # of veterinary offices per 100,000 residents | % within 10 minute walks to park | Annual vet costs | Walk score | Dog parks per 100,000 | Scaled score |
| 1 | Seattle, WA | 59.12 | 99 | $747.08 | 74 | 2 | 100.00 |
| 2 | Portland, OR | 46.91 | 90 | $707.86 | 67 | 5.7 | 98.33 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | 46.51 | 100 | $881.03 | 89 | 4.8 | 97.07 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | 58.64 | 100 | $761.16 | 83 | 1.8 | 93.10 |
| 5 | Minneapolis, MI | 87.98 | 98 | $720.93 | 71 | 1.6 | 91.63 |
| 6 | Long Beach, CA | 220.69 | 83 | $775.32 | 73 | 2.4 | 90.79 |
| 7 | Washington, D.C. | 83.06 | 99 | $747.08 | 98 | 2.7 | 89.12 |
| 8 | Denver, CO | 48.23 | 92 | $670.93 | 61 | 1.9 | 88.70 |
| 9 | Sacramento, CA | 44.32 | 84 | $761.16 | 49 | 4.3 | 74.06 |
| 10 | Atlanta, GA | 120.41 | 78 | $683.86 | 48 | 1.9 | 71.76 |
The study scored 46 of the most populous cities in the U.S. for which there was data and was based on the following factors:
- Number of veterinary offices per 100,000 Residents (25 percent weighting)
- Percent of residents within a 10-minute walk to a park (10 percent weighting)
- Annual veterinary costs (15 percent weighting)
- Walkability (10 percent weighting)
- Number of dog parks per 100,000 residents (15 percent weighting)
- Heating degree days (25 percent weighting)