No shocker here, California is ranked as the most costly state to own a dog, according to a new study from Market Watch.
As if the high cost of living wasn’t expensive enough. According to the research, Dog parents drop a heavy $35k over their best friend’s lifetime, making it the highest cost of any state.
To determine the ranking, researchers calculated the average cost of owning a Labrador retriever, the most popular dog in the U.S. based on data from the American Kennel Club.
Assuming that the dog lives up to 11 years, analysts found the average costs of annual fees, such as insurance, grooming, food, checkups, toys, boarding and emergency vet visits, and upfront costs such as neuter procedures and vaccines.
These were the most expensive states for dog owners
- California: $35,452
- New York: $34,248
- Massachusetts: $33,318
- New Jersey: $32,947
- Washington: $32,894
These are the least expensive state for dog owners
- Oklahoma: $24,855
- Mississippi: $25,104
- Indiana: $25,479
- Nebraska: $25,662
- Louisiana: $25,760
** The study didn’t include the cost of owning a dog in certain states like Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota or Hawaii, adoption costs and rental fees for owning a dog since those data points can vary.**