Charlotte is America’s most pet-friendly rental market
Zillow's ranking of the most pet-friendly rental markets puts Austin in second, just a whisker from the top
- According to Zillow’s ranking of the most pet-friendly rental markets, Charlotte narrowly tops Zillow’s ranking of the most pet-friendly rental markets, with 91.6% of rental listings on Zillow allowing pets. Providence and New York trail the pack, having the smallest shares of pet-friendly listings among major markets.
- Nationwide, 77% of rental listings on Zillow allow pets.
- 59% of renter households have a pet — more than those that have a child — and 65% call pet-friendliness “essential” when choosing a rental.
More than three-quarters of rental listings on Zillow across the country now allow pets — but Charlotte stands apart. New Zillow data covering the 50 largest U.S. metros shows that while pet-friendly rentals are now the norm nationwide, the share varies depending on where a renter is looking. In Charlotte, 91.6% of listings on Zillow welcome pets. In Providence, just 54% do, fewest of any major metro.
- Charlotte, NC — 91.6% of listings on Zillow allow pets
- Austin, TX — 91.5%
- Denver, CO — 90.8%
- Dallas, TX — 90.6%
- Nashville, TN — 90.4%
- Raleigh, NC — 89.7%
- Indianapolis, IN — 89%
- Richmond, VA — 88.7%
- Kansas City, MO — 88.3%
- Columbus, OH — 88%
The most pet-friendly rental markets: Charlotte and Austin
Charlotte is top dog at 91.6%, with Austin a whisker behind at 91.5%. They’re followed by Denver (91.5%), Dallas (90.6%), Nashville (90.4%) and Raleigh (89.7%). Sunbelt and Mountain West metros dominate the top of the list, where newer, larger apartment communities have made pet-friendly policies standard. Rounding out the top 10: Indianapolis (89%), Richmond (88.7%), Kansas City (88.3%) and Columbus (88%).
It’s no surprise landlords are rolling out the welcome mat for pets. According to Zillow’s Consumer Housing Trends Report, 59% of renter households have at least one pet — more than have a child (37%) or even a plant (46%). Forty percent have a dog and 31% have a cat. Some 65% of all renters call pet-friendliness “essential” when deciding where to rent, up from 60% in 2024, and the figure climbs to 73% among renters in single-family homes.
And once renters find a home that welcomes their pet, they tend to stay. Some 62% of tenured renters who didn’t move last year say pet-friendly policies were a factor in their decision to stick around — good news for landlords and their four-legged tenants alike.
Not every metro has caught up — yet
Providence has the smallest share of pet-friendly listings among major metros at just 54%, followed by New York (61%), Buffalo (62%), Boston (63%) and Hartford (63%). Coastal California also lags — San Francisco at 64%, Los Angeles at 68%, Riverside at 69%. Zillow research from last summer found that pet-friendly rentals attract more interest from renters, earning 9% more views, 12% more saves and 11% more shares than listings that don’t allow pets — and in the New York metro, they rented a full 26 days faster.
Metros on the move
More markets are coming around. Salt Lake City gained nearly eight percentage points in its pet-friendly share over the past year — the biggest jump of any major metro. Louisville (+4.6 points), Cleveland (+4.5 points), Miami (+4.4 points) and Indianapolis (+3.9 points) also made meaningful gains.
| Rank | Metro | Share of pet-friendly rental listings |
| — | United States | 77.3% |
| 1 | Charlotte, NC | 91.6% |
| 2 | Austin, TX | 91.5% |
| 3 | Denver, CO | 90.8% |
| 4 | Dallas, TX | 90.6% |
| 5 | Nashville, TN | 90.4% |
| 6 | Raleigh, NC | 89.7% |
| 7 | Indianapolis, IN | 89% |
| 8 | Richmond, VA | 88.7% |
| 9 | Kansas City, MO | 88.3% |
| 10 | Columbus, OH | 88% |
| 11 | Minneapolis, MN | 87.7% |
| 12 | Salt Lake City, UT | 86.5% |
| 13 | Portland, OR | 85.8% |
| 14 | San Antonio, TX | 85.7% |
| 15 | Atlanta, GA | 84.8% |
| 16 | Jacksonville, FL | 84.7% |
| 17 | Phoenix, AZ | 84.4% |
| 18 | Washington, DC | 83.1% |
| 19 | Tampa, FL | 83.1% |
| 20 | Seattle, WA | 82.6% |
| 21 | Cincinnati, OH | 82.5% |
| 22 | Virginia Beach, VA | 82.3% |
| 23 | Orlando, FL | 82.1% |
| 24 | Louisville, KY | 81.2% |
| 25 | St. Louis, MO | 80% |
| 26 | Las Vegas, NV | 79.8% |
| 27 | Oklahoma City, OK | 79.6% |
| 28 | Memphis, TN | 79.1% |
| 29 | Baltimore, MD | 78.2% |
| 30 | Birmingham, AL | 77.8% |
| 31 | San Diego, CA | 77% |
| 32 | Chicago, IL | 76.7% |
| 33 | Philadelphia, PA | 76.1% |
| 34 | Houston, TX | 75.8% |
| 35 | Sacramento, CA | 75.3% |
| 36 | Milwaukee, WI | 74.6% |
| 37 | Pittsburgh, PA | 72.4% |
| 38 | San Jose, CA | 72% |
| 39 | Cleveland, OH | 71.6% |
| 40 | Detroit, MI | 71.4% |
| 41 | Riverside, CA | 69.2% |
| 42 | Miami, FL | 68.3% |
| 43 | Los Angeles, CA | 67.6% |
| 44 | New Orleans, LA | 65.3% |
| 45 | San Francisco, CA | 64.2% |
| 46 | Hartford, CT | 63.3% |
| 47 | Boston, MA | 62.5% |
| 48 | Buffalo, NY | 62.2% |
| 49 | New York, NY | 61.4% |
| 50 | Providence, RI | 54.3% |
