The annual Dog Park Rankings from the Trust for Public Land shows which of the 100 largest cities in the nation have the most dog parks, a metric that both real estate agents and homebuyers are valuing more and more.
In a review of the ranking, Attom Data Solutions' senior vice president Daren Blomquist says, that most housing markets in the ranking have faster home price appreciation than the national average. "These markets are going places, and I think part of what is drawing people to these areas is the dog-friendly environment.” Ralph McLaughlin, former chief economist with Trulia, told MarketWatch, “With dog ownership on the rise in the U.S., it shouldn’t come as a surprise that home builders and local governments are increasingly providing dog parks for their residents. Dog parks may also play a role in helping sustain relative value in neighborhoods with them compared to those without.”
There are now 774 dog parks in the 100 biggest metro areas, a nearly 5 percent increase over last year and up 40 percent since the trust started keeping track, in 2009. “Dog parks are among the fastest-growing amenities in the 100 largest U.S. cities’ park systems — and the top cities may be surprising,” the trust wrote in its analysis. Or not so surprising, if you believe housing-market attributes reflect people’s priorities, including man’s best friend.
