Americans love their pets. Almost 60% of U.S. households owned at least one pet at the end of 2016. According to some reports, even more Americans adopted pets after the COVID-19 pandemic struck — though some have also apparently returned their pets to shelters since returning to work. (These are the states where the most people have been working from home.)
Some parts of the country seem to be more pet-friendly than others. To compile a list of the states with the most pets, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data from the Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook, published in 2020 by the American Veterinary Medical Association for companion animal veterinarians and the animal health industry. Collected in 2017-2018, the data is the most recent available, reflecting the total number of households and the number and percentage of dog-owning households in the 48 contiguous states as of December 31, 2016.
Some general trends are apparent: Pet ownership rates are highest in the Heartland and in mountain states like Wyoming, West Virginia, and Idaho. These are largely rural, less densely populated areas where people are more likely to live in single-family houses, which makes having pets easier. (Take a look at the official pets and animals of every state.)
Click here to see the states with the most pets
However, other states with plenty of space, where people live in houses rather than apartments — including California, South Dakota, and Colorado — turn out to have relatively low rates of pet ownership. In any case, it’s good to bear in mind that people have pets for very different reasons — for instance, cats for companionship, dogs for hunting, and reptiles just to have around. Â
48. Rhode Island
> Households with at least one pet: 45.4%
> Number of human households: 450,000 — 9th fewest
> Number of pet-owning households: 204,000 — 6th fewest
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Source: Candygrl / iStock via Getty Images
47. South Dakota
> Households with at least one pet: 46.4%
> Number of human households: 356,000 — 6th fewest
> Number of pet-owning households: 165,000 — 3rd fewest
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46. New Jersey
> Households with at least one pet: 47.4%
> Number of human households: 3,414,000 — 11th most
> Number of pet-owning households: 1,617,000 — 15th most
Source: Page Light Studios / iStock via Getty Images
45. Illinois
> Households with at least one pet: 48.6%
> Number of human households: 5,138,000 — 5th most
> Number of pet-owning households: 2,499,000 — 8th most
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Source: TrudySlinger / iStock via Getty Images
44. Maryland
> Households with at least one pet: 48.6%
> Number of human households: 2,261,000 — 20th most
> Number of pet-owning households: 1,098,000 — 25th most
Source: Capuski / E+ via Getty Images
43. Massachusetts
> Households with at least one pet: 49.1%
> Number of human households: 2,714,000 — 15th most
> Number of pet-owning households: 1,331,000 — 20th most
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42. New York
> Households with at least one pet: 49.7%
> Number of human households: 7,849,000 — 4th most
> Number of pet-owning households: 3,667,000 — 4th most
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41. Connecticut
> Households with at least one pet: 49.9%
> Number of human households: 1,430,000 — 22nd fewest
> Number of pet-owning households: 714,000 — 19th fewest
Source: thelawoffives / Flickr
40. Georgia
> Households with at least one pet: 51.1%
> Number of human households: 3,999,000 — 10th most
> Number of pet-owning households: 2,044,000 — 10th most
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Source: rozmarina / iStock via Getty Images
39. New Hampshire
> Households with at least one pet: 51.8%
> Number of human households: 502,000 — 10th fewest
> Number of pet-owning households: 260,000 — 9th fewest
38. Nevada
> Households with at least one pet: 53.3%
> Number of human households: 1,122,000 — 17th fewest
> Number of pet-owning households: 598,000 — 17th fewest
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Source: Cynthia Shirk / iStock via Getty Images
37. Minnesota
> Households with at least one pet: 54.0%
> Number of human households: 2,234,000 — 21st most
> Number of pet-owning households: 1,207,000 — 22nd most
Source: Joel Carillet / E+ via Getty Images
36. Louisiana
> Households with at least one pet: 54.4%
> Number of human households: 1,847,000 — 25th fewest
> Number of pet-owning households: 1,005,000 — 24th fewest
Source: DACowley / iStock via Getty Images
35. Virginia
> Households with at least one pet: 55.5%
> Number of human households: 3,306,000 — 12th most
> Number of pet-owning households: 1,836,000 — 12th most
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Source: LeoPatrizi / E+ via Getty Images
34. Florida
> Households with at least one pet: 56.0%
> Number of human households: 8,260,000 — 3rd most
> Number of pet-owning households: 4,628,000 — 3rd most
33. California
> Households with at least one pet: 57.2%
> Number of human households: 13,911,000 — the most
> Number of pet-owning households: 7,959,000 — the most
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Source: Lunja / iStock via Getty Images
32. Delaware
> Households with at least one pet: 57.9%
> Number of human households: 399,000 — 7th fewest
> Number of pet-owning households: 231,000 — 8th fewest
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Source: desertsolitaire / iStock via Getty Images
31. Arizona
> Households with at least one pet: 58.0%
> Number of human households: 2,624,000 — 17th most
> Number of pet-owning households: 1,522,000 — 17th most
Source: srahn / Flickr
30. Texas
> Households with at least one pet: 58.2%
> Number of human households: 10,105,000 — 2nd most
> Number of pet-owning households: 5,885,000 — 2nd most
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29. Utah
> Households with at least one pet: 58.5%
> Number of human households: 1,014,000 — 16th fewest
> Number of pet-owning households: 593,000 — 16th fewest
Source: Tar_Heel_Rob / iStock via Getty Images
28. North Carolina
> Households with at least one pet: 58.6%
> Number of human households: 4,022,000 — 9th most
> Number of pet-owning households: 2,356,000 — 9th most
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27. Wisconsin
> Households with at least one pet: 59.0%
> Number of human households: 2,389,000 — 19th most
> Number of pet-owning households: 1,410,000 — 19th most
Source: edb3_16 / iStock via Getty Images
26. Oregon
> Households with at least one pet: 59.2%
> Number of human households: 1,606,000 — 24th fewest
> Number of pet-owning households: 950,000 — 23rd fewest
25. Iowa
> Households with at least one pet: 59.4%
> Number of human households: 1,298,000 — 21st fewest
> Number of pet-owning households: 771,000 — 21st fewest
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24. Alabama
> Households with at least one pet: 59.8%
> Number of human households: 1,984,000 — 24th most
> Number of pet-owning households: 1,187,000 — 24th most
23. New Mexico
> Households with at least one pet: 60.1%
> Number of human households: 796,000 — 15th fewest
> Number of pet-owning households: 478,000 — 13th fewest
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Source: sdominick / E+ via Getty Images
22. Pennsylvania
> Households with at least one pet: 60.6%
> Number of human households: 5,116,000 — 6th most
> Number of pet-owning households: 3,103,000 — 5th most
Source: Jason Hohnberger / Getty Images
21. Tennessee
> Households with at least one pet: 61.7%
> Number of human households: 2,736,000 — 14th most
> Number of pet-owning households: 1,688,000 — 14th most
Source: Ralf Nau / DigitalVision via Getty Images
20. Montana
> Households with at least one pet: 61.9%
> Number of human households: 435,000 — 8th fewest
> Number of pet-owning households: 269,000 — 10th fewest
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Source: Alex Potemkin / E+ via Getty Images
19. South Carolina
> Households with at least one pet: 62.0%
> Number of human households: 2,002,000 — 23rd most
> Number of pet-owning households: 1,241,000 — 21st most
18. Michigan
> Households with at least one pet: 62.4%
> Number of human households: 4,071,000 — 8th most
> Number of pet-owning households: 2,539,000 — 7th most
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Source: Tyler Terry / iStock via Getty Images
17. Ohio
> Households with at least one pet: 62.4%
> Number of human households: 4,682,000 — 7th most
> Number of pet-owning households: 2,922,000 — 6th most
Source: RyanJLane / E+ via Getty Images
16. Washington
> Households with at least one pet: 62.7%
> Number of human households: 2,844,000 — 13th most
> Number of pet-owning households: 1,782,000 — 13th most
Source: thegoodphoto / iStock via Getty Images
15. Kansas
> Households with at least one pet: 62.8%
> Number of human households: 1,136,000 — 18th fewest
> Number of pet-owning households: 714,000 — 19th fewest
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Source: lisazins / Flickr
14. Maine
> Households with at least one pet: 63.5%
> Number of human households: 606,000 — 11th fewest
> Number of pet-owning households: 385,000 — 11th fewest
13. Missouri
> Households with at least one pet: 63.5%
> Number of human households: 2,417,000 — 18th most
> Number of pet-owning households: 1,535,000 — 16th most
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12. North Dakota
> Households with at least one pet: 63.7%
> Number of human households: 328,000 — 5th fewest
> Number of pet-owning households: 209,000 — 7th fewest
Source: pasa / Flickr
11. Kentucky
> Households with at least one pet: 64.1%
> Number of human households: 1,874,000 — 25th most
> Number of pet-owning households: 1,201,000 — 23rd most
Source: marekuliasz / iStock via Getty Images
10. Colorado
> Households with at least one pet: 64.7%
> Number of human households: 2,221,000 — 22nd most
> Number of pet-owning households: 1,437,000 — 18th most
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Source: shanelinkcom / iStock via Getty Images
9. Oklahoma
> Households with at least one pet: 65.0%
> Number of human households: 1,587,000 — 23rd fewest
> Number of pet-owning households: 1,031,000 — 25th fewest
8. Mississippi
> Households with at least one pet: 65.5%
> Number of human households: 1,153,000 — 19th fewest
> Number of pet-owning households: 755,000 — 20th fewest
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Source: Sean_Gao / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
7. Arkansas
> Households with at least one pet: 69.0%
> Number of human households: 1,211,000 — 20th fewest
> Number of pet-owning households: 836,000 — 22nd fewest
6. Indiana
> Households with at least one pet: 69.2%
> Number of human households: 2,670,000 — 16th most
> Number of pet-owning households: 1,847,000 — 11th most
Source: Michael Overstreet / iStock via Getty Images
5. Idaho
> Households with at least one pet: 69.9%
> Number of human households: 648,000 — 12th fewest
> Number of pet-owning households: 453,000 — 12th fewest
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Source: DACowley / iStock via Getty Images
4. Vermont
> Households with at least one pet: 70.0%
> Number of human households: 265,000 — 4th fewest
> Number of pet-owning households: 185,000 — 5th fewest
3. Nebraska
> Households with at least one pet: 70.3%
> Number of human households: 736,000 — 13th fewest
> Number of pet-owning households: 517,000 — 14th fewest
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Source: AleksandarNakic / E+ via Getty Images
2. West Virginia
> Households with at least one pet: 70.7%
> Number of human households: 755,000 — 14th fewest
> Number of pet-owning households: 534,000 — 15th fewest
1. Wyoming
> Households with at least one pet: 71.8%
> Number of human households: 240,000 — 3rd fewest
> Number of pet-owning households: 172,000 — 4th fewest
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