Reviewed by: Nathan Watson
Birmingham named 7th most pet-friendly city in the U.S.
Reading time: 2 minutes
Get excited, Birmingham pet-parents! The Magic City has been ranked the 7th most pet-friendly city in the U.S. by WalletHub. This accolade is fitting for our growing number of dog parks and walking trails and the vast selection of vets in the city.
Keep scrolling to see what makes Birmingham a great place to raise your furry friends!
Bham is no stranger to this list— 2026 is the sixth year Birmingham has been ranked by WalletHub among the top 15 pet-friendly cities. Check out our track record below:
- 2020 – 9th most pet-friendly city
- 2021 – 5th most pet-friendly city
- 2022 – 15th most pet-friendly city
- 2023 – 6th most pet-friendly city
- 2025 – 4th most pet-friendly city
- 2026 – 7th most pet-friendly city
A breakdown of the rankings
WalletHub named Birmingham the 7th most pet-friendly out of the 100 most populated cities they put to the test. Our ranking was determined by 23 metrics across three categories: pet health and wellness, pet budget and outdoor pet friendliness. For each category, our ranks were the following:
- Pet Budget: 9th
- Pet Health + Wellness: 35th
- Outdoor Pet Friendliness: 72nd
Our overall pet-friendliness score for 2026 is 57.4/100.
What cities outranked Birmingham? The top six pet-friendly cities (and their scores) are:
- Scottsdale, Arizona (68.02)
- Tampa, Florida (63.51)
- Las Vegas, Nevada (61.55)
- Orlando, Florida (58.66)
- Cincinnati, Ohio (58.17)
- St. Petersburg, Florida (57.84)
Birmingham’s pet-friendly features
No matter the species, we all know pets are part of the family. Birmingham’s ranking is well-earned as there is no shortage of resources for keeping your pet happy and healthy.
Our score in pet-friendliness can be attributed to the many spots around town that are accessible to pet owners.
Some of our favorite pet destinations and resources around Birmingham:
- Good Dog Park + Bar
- Remy’s Dog Park at Red Mountain Park
- Trails by the Rails at Ellard Park
- Birmingham Animal Hospital + Resort
- Alabama Spay/Neuter
- Remy Fund for Pets and Animal Services
What do you think makes Birmingham especially pet-friendly? Let us know on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn!
