Charlotte named one of the most pet-friendly cities for renters

State of play: Zillow analyzed thousands of its single-family and apartment rental listings across more than 100 U.S. cities to find the cities with the highest number of units allowing cats and/or dogs.

Why it matters: Pet adoption and fostering surged during the pandemic, as Axios’ Jacob Knutson reported, and renters are keeping their animals in mind when considering where to live.

By the numbers: Twice as many potential renters filter for pet-friendly listings than for any other amenity on Zillow, per the report.

• 59% of renters in 2022 owned at least one pet, up from 46% in 2019, per Zillow.
• 77% of Zillow’s 1,755 properties with rental listings in Charlotte are pet-friendly.

What they’re saying: “Pets are widely considered part of the American family, so it makes sense that they factor into moving decisions and impact housing preferences,” Amanda Pendelton, Zillow’s home trends expert, says.

Yes, but: Pet-friendly doesn’t necessarily mean breed-inclusive, especially for dog breeds like pit bulls and Rottweilers.

Go deeper: Charlotte apartments remain decidedly unfriendly toward pit bulls

Zoom out: Texas cities (Austin, Dallas and Fort Worth) claimed the top three spots on Zillow’s top ten list.

• Austin snagged the number one spot, “with more than 4 out of every 5 rental listings allowing pets,” according to Zillow.

The bottom line: Pet ownership shows no signs of slowing, making a pet-friendly apartment a big part of the moving equation for many renters.

Related Axios guide: 6 dog-friendly things to do in Charlotte