SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In honor of National Pet Month, today Redfin, a real estate brokerage, Trupanion, a company that offers medical insurance for cats and dogs, and Rover.com, the nation’s largest network of dog lovers for hire, teamed up to get a holistic look at the costs involved in responsibly caring for a dog in major cities across the U.S. While the cost of food and toys can be squeezed into most monthly budgets, the costs involved in dog-friendly housing, veterinary bills and quality pet care can really add up, especially in big cities.
To determine which cities are the most and least expensive, each company analyzed data on 116 major cities, and then ranked the list based on the following criteria:
- Housing: How much more you’ll pay for a dog-friendly rental compared to the average cost of all rentals in the city, based on data from Walk Score, a Redfin company.
- Healthcare: Average monthly premium and $250 deductible to insure a mixed breed male puppy with Trupanion.
- Pet Care: Average daily rates for dog sitting and day care, based on data from Rover.com.
According to the analysis:
The most expensive cities to have a dog are:
1. San Francisco, California
2. Fort Lauderdale, Florida
3. Aurora, Colorado
4. Portland, Oregon
5. Chula Vista, California
The least expensive cities to have a dog are:
1. Phoenix, Arizona
2. The Woodlands, Texas
3. Nashville, Tennessee
4. Detroit, Michigan
5. Fayetteville, North Carolina
“If you are thinking about adopting a dog, please keep in mind that dog-friendly rentals may be more expensive and harder to find, and be prepared to make that commitment,” said Nela Richardson, chief economist at Redfin. “In the 116 cities that we looked at, only 16.5 percent of rentals allow dogs, and dog-friendly rentals cost 6 percent more on average.”
“There are several factors that go into determining the cost of medical insurance for your dog, they are: age, breed, gender, whether your dog has been spayed or neutered, and the cost of veterinary care where you live,” said TJ Houk, vice president of analytics at Trupanion. “Medical advancements in veterinary care are helping dogs live longer, healthier lives. We saw better access to advanced care in the most expensive cities we analyzed, leading to increases in veterinary costs there.”
“Dogs are just like us - they need exercise and stimulation. Whether you work long hours, or travel frequently for work, Rover makes it possible to enjoy the love of a dog by providing easy access to nearby, loving caregivers while you’re away from home,” explains Jason Kreitzer, vice president of product management and analytics at Rover.com. “Our analysis revealed that prices for Rover care tends to follow typical cost-of-living variances across markets. However, Rover doggie daycare and overnight sitting rates are often 25 to 40 percent less expensive than respective same-city commercial offerings.”
Redfin, Trupanion and Rover are also sponsoring a social media sweepstakes, in which one lucky winner will receive $1,000 from Redfin, a $100 gift card for Rover services, an overnight bag from Rover and a swag bag of pet healthcare items, treats and toys from Trupanion.
For more information on the sweepstakes and the analysis, complete with an infographic that breaks down the costs in each city, please visit: https://www.redfin.com/blog/2015/05/expensive-cities-to-have-a-dog.html
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About Redfin
Redfin (www.redfin.com) is a next-generation real estate brokerage that represents people buying and selling homes. Founded by technologists, Redfin employs a team of experienced, full-service real estate agents who are advocates, not salespeople, earning customer-satisfaction bonuses, not just commissions. Redfin.com features all the broker-listed homes for sale, as well as for-sale-by-owner properties that don’t pay brokers a commission. Redfin also offers online tools, built by its own software engineers, that make the entire process of buying or selling a home easier and more fun. The company serves major markets across the U.S. and has closed nearly $20 billion in home sales. In 2012, Redfin was named one of The DIGITAL 100: World’s Most Valuable Private Tech Companies by Business Insider.
