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, nearly 87 million households in the U.S. own pets, which rely on our support to survive, and residents of some states take better care of their pets than others.

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 share of pet-owning households to the number of veterinarians per pet-owning household.

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 2025.

Main Findings

Most Animal-Friendly States

Overall Rank* State Total Score Pet Ownership Rank Animal Protection Rank
Animal Wellness Rank
1 Colorado 67.09 2 7 27
2 Oregon 66.41 11 2 22
3 Nebraska 61.70 1 30 3
4 Washington 61.31 24 1 41
5 Vermont 60.93 34 10 6
6 Montana 59.50 25 21 1
7 Minnesota 59.40 14 15 24
8 Idaho 58.96 3 27 19
9 Kansas 57.76 10 25 5
10 Florida 57.43 37 11 16
11 Indiana 57.37 6 26 13
12 Missouri 57.36 12 23 8
13 Maine 57.20 30 9 36
14 Wisconsin 56.34 26 17 26
15 Michigan 56.08 23 18 25
16 Ohio 54.72 29 16 32
17 Oklahoma 54.13 7 39 4
18 Illinois 53.87 40 5 40
19 Wyoming 53.30 22 28 7
20 New Hampshire 53.10 46 6 21
21 Virginia 53.09 15 24 33
22 Tennessee 52.63 9 32 23
23 South Dakota 51.41 19 38 2
24 North Dakota 50.76 18 34 14
25 Iowa 50.15 27 33 11
26 Rhode Island 50.10 47 12 30
27 Arizona 50.06 13 22 47
28 Utah 49.75 5 43 17
29 Arkansas 49.13 4 41 38
30 Pennsylvania 49.08 31 20 43
31 Connecticut 48.84 43 8 46
32 New Jersey 48.12 44 13 44
33 Texas 48.02 28 31 34
34 California 47.71 42 4 50
35 Massachusetts 47.23 50 3 42
36 Kentucky 46.97 16 42 15
37 Delaware 46.12 38 19 48
38 West Virginia 45.36 32 37 31
39 North Carolina 45.36 8 45 18
40 Alaska 44.47 41 29 37
41 South Carolina 42.82 17 46 12
42 Nevada 42.34 39 36 39
43 Louisiana 42.13 45 35 20
44 Mississippi 41.04 21 48 9
45 New York 40.17 48 14 49
46 Georgia 39.24 33 47 10
47 New Mexico 36.54 20 49 28
48 Maryland 35.23 36 44 45
49 Hawaii 33.97 49 40 35
50 Alabama 33.08 35 50 29

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.

 

Was this article helpful?

Disclaimer: Editorial and user-generated content is not provided or commissioned by charities. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and have not been approved or otherwise endorsed by any charity. Our content is intended for informational purposes only, and we encourage everyone to respect our content guidelines. Please keep in mind that it is not a charity’s responsibility to ensure all posts and questions are answered.

Your web browser (Internet Explorer) is out of date and no longer supported.

Please download one of these up-to-date, free and excellent browsers: