Data: U.S. Census American Housing Survey; Chart: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals
We love our pets, from house cats to the namesake Boston Terrier. And we now have the data to prove it.
Driving the news: Data from the U.S. Census Bureau show that among major metropolitan areas, Boston had the fourth-largest percentage of households with cats, and the 13th-largest percentage with dogs as of 2021.
By the numbers: An estimated 365,800 households have at least one cat in the Boston-metropolitan area, representing 19% of the region’s more than 1.9 million households, per census data.
- About 429,000 households (26% of the region’s total) have at least one dog.
- An estimated 58,400 have fish and 31,600 have birds.
Yes, but: More than 1.1 million households have no pets. There’s no word on whether that’s because of rental/condo restrictions or because the owners hate animals.
Data: U.S. Census American Housing Survey; Chart: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals
🌱
Support local journalism by becoming a member.
Learn more
More Boston stories
No stories could be found
Get a free daily digest of the most important news in your backyard with Axios Boston.
🌱
Support local journalism by becoming a member.
Learn more