Good Dog
Why Austin ranks among the 10 best cities for dog owners
This city is going to the dogs. Not only do we come up with some pretty cute (and original) dog names, a report from says Austin is the 10th best city for dog owners.
ValuePenguin ranked U.S. cities based on 16 factors in four categories. Austin's best score was in the "going out" category, determined by the number of pet-friendly restaurants, accommodations, beaches, and dog parks in town. We ranked seventh.
The Capital City also performed pretty well in the "amenities and care" (No. 19) and "walking" (No. 42) categories, the latter of which explored size and proximity of parkland. The former encompassed the volume of pet stores, groomers, kennels, sitters, walker, trainers, veterinarians, and rescue organizations in town — and Austin has plenty of each.
With a ranking of 70, Austin's worst category by far was "cost." Our cost of living was 5.5 percent cheaper than the national average, but it's still high enough to put a strain on dog owners.