Best States for Animals

The U.S. has nearly 3,000 native species of animals, but up to 40% of these animals are at risk of extinction, so more conservation work is necessary. In addition, Americans own over 150 million pets across 95 million households, and these animals rely on our support to survive, though the level of care they receive varies by state.

To highlight the best states for animals and the ones that have the most room for improvement, SmileHub compared each of the 50 states on 18 key metrics. The data set ranges from the number of animal charities per capita to the number of state conservation programs and initiatives to the share of no-kill animal shelters.

If you want to support animal welfare but don’t know where to donate, check out our picks for the Best Charities for Animals in 2026.

• Main Findings
• Methodology

Main Findings

Most Animal-Friendly States

Overall Rank*	State	Total Score	Pet Ownership Rank	Animal Protection Rank	Animal Wellness Rank
1	Oregon	65.16	15	2	26
2	Colorado	64.33	2	9	32
3	Nebraska	60.48	1	30	2
4	Washington	59.88	29	1	43
5	Vermont	59.33	36	6	5
6	Montana	59.31	23	21	1
7	Kansas	58.07	10	25	4
8	Minnesota	57.67	18	17	21
9	Missouri	57.65	12	23	7
10	Michigan	57.12	19	18	23
11	Idaho	56.74	3	27	24
12	Florida	56.45	39	11	11
13	Maine	56.22	33	10	27
14	Wyoming	55.99	9	28	9
15	Indiana	55.71	7	26	19
16	Wisconsin	55.24	25	15	36
17	Ohio	54.60	31	16	30
18	Oklahoma	53.53	5	38	6
19	Tennessee	53.06	11	31	20
20	New Hampshire	52.96	48	7	15
21	Iowa	52.58	24	32	3
22	Virginia	52.33	16	24	38
23	Illinois	52.29	41	5	39
24	North Dakota	50.68	21	34	12
25	Rhode Island	50.56	46	12	31
26	Pennsylvania	49.85	32	20	42
27	Arkansas	48.25	4	41	37
28	Arizona	47.97	22	22	48
29	Connecticut	47.78	45	8	45
30	New Jersey	47.65	42	13	46
31	South Dakota	47.46	26	39	14
32	Texas	47.37	28	33	33
33	Utah	47.17	8	43	22
34	Massachusetts	47.17	50	3	44
35	California	46.95	43	4	50
36	Kentucky	46.87	14	42	16
37	West Virginia	46.68	27	37	28
38	Delaware	46.31	44	19	41
39	North Carolina	45.93	6	46	17
40	Louisiana	45.62	40	35	8
41	Alaska	45.53	38	29	34
42	South Carolina	44.15	17	45	18
43	Nevada	44.13	30	36	40
44	New York	41.33	47	14	49
45	Mississippi	40.28	20	48	13
46	New Mexico	37.64	13	49	35
47	Georgia	36.45	37	47	10
48	Hawaii	33.95	49	40	29
49	Maryland	33.86	34	44	47
50	Alabama	32.93	35	50	25

Note: *1 = Best

With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that state, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

 

Methodology

In order to determine the best states for animals, SmileHub compared the 50 states across three key dimensions: 1) Pet Ownership, 2) Animal Protection and 3) Animal Wellness.

We evaluated those dimensions using 18 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest level of animal-friendliness. For metrics marked with an asterisk (*), the square root of the population was used to calculate the population size in order to avoid overcompensating for population differences across states.

We then determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order the states.

Pet Ownership – Total Points: 30

• Share of Pet-Owning Households: Double Weight (~8.57 Points)
• Share of Rental Properties Allowing Large Dogs: Full Weight (~4.29 Points)
• Share of Rental Properties Allowing Small Dogs: Full Weight (~4.29 Points)
• Share of Rental Properties Allowing Cats: Full Weight (~4.29 Points)
• Annual Cost of Feeding a Dog: Full Weight (~4.29 Points)
• Annual Cost of Cat Food and Kitty Litter: Full Weight (~4.29 Points)

Animal Protection – Total Points: 50

• Animal Protection Laws Ranking: Double Weight (~13.33 Points)
  Note: This metric is based on the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s “Best & Worst States for Animal Protection Laws” ranking.
• Share of No-Kill Shelters: Full Weight (~6.67 Points)
• Animal Save Rate: Full Weight (~6.67 Points)
  Note: This metric is determined by taking the number of animals saved in animal shelters divided by the number of animals entered into animal shelters in each state, based on data from Best Friends Animals Society.
• Share of State Land Designated for Parks and Wildlife: Full Weight (~6.67 Points)
• Number of State Conservation Programs and Initiatives: Half Weight (~3.33 Points)
  Note: This metric refers to the number of conservation programs listed for each state by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service that directly or indirectly help the animals in each state.
• Animal Charities Per Capita*: Full Weight (~6.67 Points)
• Vulnerability to Climate Change: Full Weight (~6.67 Points)
  Note: This metric is determined by taking the average number of days of climate shift index values of 3 or higher, based on Climate Central data from June 2024 through August 2024. The greater the number of days, the more vulnerable to climate change we consider the state.

Animal Wellness – Total Points: 20

• Veterinarians per 1,000 Pet-Owning Households: Double Weight (~6.67 Points)
• Average Monthly Pet Insurance Cost for Dogs: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
• Average Monthly Pet Insurance Cost for Cats: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
• Average Annual Veterinary Cost for Dogs: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
• Average Annual Veterinary Cost for Cats: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)

 
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Internal Revenue Service, American Veterinary Medical Association, Zillow, Pick Pet Vacuum, Pettable, Epic Pet Club, Animal Legal Defense Fund, Best Friends Animals Society, U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Resources Conservation Service, Climate Central, Pawlicy Advisor and Banfield Pet Hospital.