Border Collie playing ball (Photo by Anna Dudkova on Unsplash)
AUSTIN, Texas — Dog owners, are you looking for the perfect summer vacation for you and your furry friend? Wherever you go, it’s safe to say your dog will appreciate a stop at the local dog park. So, which U.S. cities are the friendliest for man’s best friend?
In honor of National Lost Pet Prevention Month, researchers at LawnStarter compared America’s 101 largest cities to see which are the most welcoming to dogs. Their grading system was simple and focused on three major factors: the access to dog parks for every 100,000 residents, the number of top-ranked dog parks with a rating of 4.5 bones out of 5 or higher, and the city’s typical weather conditions.
After grading each city, there are no bones about it; Boise, Idaho tops the list as the best U.S. city for dog parks this year. With 7.6 dog parks for every 100,000 people in the city, Boise leads the country when it comes to access to outdoor fun for our furry friends.
Boise also has five dog parks that carry a rating of 4.5 bones or higher, which puts it in the top 10. With roughly an inch of rain each month and falling in the middle in terms of hot weather days, dogs may view Idaho’s capital as a little slice of heaven in 2024.
Rounding out the top five dog-friendly cities were San Francisco, California (2nd), Portland, Oregon (3rd), Henderson, Nevada (4th), and Tampa, Florida (5th).
If you’re looking to take a trip that your dog will enjoy, too, definitely think about heading west this summer. The survey found that seven of the top 10 cities are in the Western United States, largely because of their wealth of available dog parks and moderate climates.
However, you may want to pack some patience (and extra treats) when visiting these cities. Researchers note that the demand for dog parks in these top cities is usually higher because of the lack of yard space local homeowners typically have.
It’s Ruff For Dogs In Newark
At the opposite end of this year’s list, researchers say dog owners probably want to avoid visiting Newark, New Jersey with their four-legged companions. Newark finished 85th or lower in all three categories — putting it at the bottom of the 2024 list.
Rounding out the bottom five dog-friendly cities were Garland, Texas (100th), Cleveland, Ohio (99th), Santa Ana, California (98th), and North Las Vegas, Nevada (97th).
Check out the entire list here:
How To Build Your Own Backyard Dog Park
If you’re in a city where dog parks are limited or overcrowded, you might want to think about making your own doggy playground! The LawnStarter team has five tips that will help you create your own backyard dog park:
- Use pet-friendly lawn fertilizer
- Plant the most dog-friendly grass types
- Avoid landscaping with plants that are poisonous to dogs
- Repair grass spots that have been damaged by dog pee
- Fence off your property to keep your dogs safe and secure outside
Methodology
First, LawnStarter determined the factors (metrics) that are most relevant to rank the Best Dog Park Cities. Researchers then assigned a weight to each factor based on its importance and grouped those factors into 3 categories: Access, Quality, and Climate. The categories, factors, and their weights are listed in the table below.
For each of the 200 biggest U.S. cities, they then gathered data on each factor from the sources listed below the table. The team eliminated 99 cities lacking sufficient data in a single category, resulting in a final sample size of 101 cities.
Finally, LawnStarter calculated scores (out of 100 points) for each city to determine its rank in each factor, each category, and overall. A city’s Overall Score is the average of its scores across all factors and categories. The highest Overall Score ranked “Best” (No. 1) and the lowest “Worst” (No. 101).
Note: The “Worst” among individual factors may not be No. 101 due to ties.
