Pet ownership in the United states: The quick rundown
- 90.5 million households own a pet in the United States (70% of total households)
- 2020-2021 saw the largest increase in pet ownership in eight years (+8 million more pet owners). Likely due to the pandemic.
- Millennials make up 32% of pet owners and represent the largest demographic (almost 1/3 of all pet owners).
- Dogs are the most popular pet choice. Over 44% of pet owners own a dog.
American pet ownership
According to the American Pet Products Association’s (APPA) 2021-2022 National Pet Owner’s survey 70% of households in the US (90.5 million) own a pet.
Below is a table outlining the percentages of pet ownership by pet type according to 2021-2022 data.
| Pet type | Number of US households (millions) | Percentage of pet ownership |
|---|---|---|
| Dog | 69 | 44.7% |
| Cat | 45.3 | 29.4% |
| Fresh Water fish | 11.8 | 7.6% |
| Bird | 9.9 | 6.4% |
| Small Animal | 6.2 | 4.0% |
| Reptile | 5.7 | 3.7% |
| Horse | 3.5 | 2.3% |
| Saltwater fish | 2.9 | 1.9% |
Pet ownership trends
- Pet ownership increased over 3% (by over 8 million households) from 2019-2021, probably due in part to the coronavirus pandemic. This is the largest increase in eight years.
Pet ownership by generation
The APPA data also breakdown the percentage of pet ownership by generation.
The generation with the highest percent of pet ownership are Millennials, who make up almost 1/3 of all pet owners.
Next in line are the Baby Boomers who make up over 1/4 of US pet owners.
| Generation | Percent of pet owners |
|---|---|
| Generation Z | 14% |
| Millennials | 32% |
| Generation X | 24% |
| Baby Boomers | 27% |
| Builder Generation | 3% |
Footnotes
1American veterinary medical association’s “Pet Ownership And Demographics Sourcebook” 2019
