There’s nothing like the feeling of a beloved pet snuggling up next to you after a long day. Dogs and cats are the most popular pets, but people have called hamsters, fish, chickens and even snakes “pets.” According to a survey by Forbes Advisor, Millennials are the largest percentage of pet owners at 33%. Gen X comes in second at 25% and Baby Boomers are third at 24%. Gen X pet owners are the least likely to have pets that aren’t cats or dogs and Millennials are more likely to have a variety of pets.
Americans are in love with their pets, and they show it. According to the American Pet Products Association, we spent $136.8 billion on our pets in 2022, up from $123.6 billion in 2021. That total includes $58.1 billion in pet food and treats, $35.1 billion in supplies and medicine and $35.9 billion in vet care. But what states have the highest rates of pet ownership?
According to World Population Review’s website, Wyoming has the highest percentage of pet ownership in the U.S. at 71.8%. About 36% of residents report owning dogs and 30% report owning cats. West Virginia came in second with 71% pet ownership, 49.6% owning dogs and 37.7% owning cats. Iowa has more pet lovers in the study than Illinois; 59% of people in the Hawkeye State report having pets as opposed to 48.6% of residents in the Land of Lincoln. They have a slight edge in dog owners and an 11% lead in cat lovers.
Here are the states and their ranking for percentage of pet ownership.
State % pet ownership % dog ownership % cat ownership
Wyoming 71.8% 36% 30%
West Virginia 70% 49.6% 37.7%
Idaho 70% 33.3% 34.4%
Vermont 70% 28.3% 44.6%
Indiana 69.2% 49.4% 37.5%
Arkansas 69% 51.6% 34.8%
Mississippi 65.5% 51% 29.1%
Oklahoma 65% 47.7% 28.4%
Kentucky 64.1% 46.5% 32.2%
North Dakota 63.7% 44.3% 24.8%
Maine 63.5% 35.9% 43.6%
Missouri 63.5% 45.1% (insufficient data available)
Washington 63% 42.8% 30.5%
Kansas 62.8% 43.1% 32.4%
Michigan 62.4% 41.9% 31.2%
Ohio 62.4% 37.9% 30.7%
Montana 62% 51.9% 22.8%
South Carolina 62% 45.3% 25.2%
Tennessee 61.7% 47% 30.9%
Pennsylvania 60.6% 38.9% 28.9%
New Mexico 60% 39.4% 25.2%
Alabama 59.8% 46.9% 26.1%
Oregon 59.2% 37.8% 30%
Iowa 59% 33.6% 32.4%
North Carolina 59% 41.3% 26.5%
Wisconsin 59% 33.6% 32.4%
Utah 58.5% 36.2% 24.7%
Texas 58.2% 43.4% 20.5%
Arizona 58% 43% 26.4%
Delaware 57.9% 42.2% 24.1%
Florida 56% 39.8% 24.2%
Virginia 55.5% 35.6% 23.9%
Louisiana 54% 38.3% 19%
Minnesota 54% 35.5% 26.5%
Nevada 53% 36.8% 23.1%
New Hampshire 52% 23.7% 36.4%
Nebraska 51.3% 47.1% 30.9%
Georgia 51% 36.7% 20.4%
Connecticut 50% 24% 26.7%
New York 50% 27% 21,1%
Massachusetts 49% 28.9% 23.5%
Illinois 48.6% 32.4% 21%
Maryland 48.6% 30.2% 18.6%
New Jersey 47.4% 29.1% 18.9%
Colorado 47.2% 27.1% (insufficient data available)
South Dakota 46% 32.1% 26.6%
Rhode Island 45.4% 25.8% 16.7%
California 40.1% (insufficient data available) 22.9%
Alaska and Hawaii didn’t have data in the study.
