Midwest cities among the best for dog walking
Sinéad, a golden retriever mix, enjoying a walk in Minneapolis, MN. (Maureen Breslin / FOX 9)
Redfin, a real estate site, and Rover, a pet care website, worked together to compile a list of 107 cities in the United States and ranked them on how well suited they are for taking your furry friend on a walk around town.
They also identified the most popular dog breed in each city.
Midwest City Rankings
Local perspective:
5. Chicago
The highest placing Midwest city on the list was Chicago. The Windy City came in 5th with a walk score of 77.2. Chicago's most popular breed in town was the Goldendoodle, with the most trending breed as the Toy Fox Terrier.
13. Minneapolis
Minneapolis was the next best Midwest city on the list, coming in at 13th best for taking your pooch on a stroll. The Minnesota city received a walk score of 71.4. The most popular dog in Minneapolis was a Labrador Retriever and the most trending dog in the city was a Tibetan Terrier.
Sinéad for a walk in Minneapolis. (Maureen Breslin / FOX 9)
20. St. Louis
St. Louis was ranked at 20th place for best dog walking. The Missouri city was given a walking score of 65.7. Their most popular breed was also a Labrador Retriever, and their most trending breed was a Pekingese.
24. Milwaukee
The next Midwest city on the list is Milwaukee. The Wisconsin city came in 24th for its dog walking and got a score of 61.5 for dog walkability. The most popular dog breed in Milwaukee was a Goldendoodle, while the most trending dog breed was an English Mastiff.
27. St. Paul
Following up its twin, St. Paul was ranked 27th on the dog walkability ranking. St. Paul was scored at 60.4 for dog walking and its most popular breed, like its twin city, was the Labrador Retriever. However, the city differed for its trending breed, which for St. Paul was a French Bulldog.
29. Cleveland
Cleveland came in at 29th for best dog walking cities. The Ohio city got a score of 57.1 for dog walkability and its most popular breed was the Golden Retriever. The most trending breed in Cleveland was a Rottweiler.
32. Detroit
The Motor City came in 32nd on the list for dog walkability. Detroit was scored 51.1 and the city's most popular dog breed was a German Shepherd, while the most trending dog was a German Shorthaired Pointer.
37. Madison
The Wisconsin capital city came in 37th for dog walking. Madison got a score of 49.7. The city's most popular dog breed was the Labrador Retriever and their most trending dog breed was the Lhasa Apso.
40. Cincinnati
Cincinnati was placed at 40th for dog walking on the list and received a score of 49.1 for dog walkability. The city's most popular breed was a Goldendoodle, while its highest trending breed was a Samoyed.
42. Omaha
Omaha was ranked 42nd for dog walking among the other cities on the list. The most populous Nebraska city was given a score of 48.2. Their most popular dog breed was the Labrador Retriever, and the Bernese Mountain Dog was the most trending breed.
46. Toledo
Toldeo, Ohio was ranked as the 46th best city for dog walking with a score of 46.4. The most popular dog breed in Toledo and its most trending breed were both the Golden Retriever.
51. Des Moines
The Iowa capital was ranked the 51st best city to walk your furry friend. Des Moines received a score of 45. The most popular breed was the Golden Retriever and the most trending breed was the Great Dane.
53. Lincoln
The Nebraska capital was next on the list, ranking at 53. Lincoln was scored at 44.1 and their most popular dog breed was the Labrador Retriever, while their most trending breed was the Siberian Husky.
64. Columbus
Next on the ranking is the Ohio capital city at number 64. Columbus got a walkability score of 41.2 and their most popular dog breed was a Labrador Retriever, while its most trending was a Cockapoo.
83. Kansas City
Further down on the list, Kansas City, Missouri comes in at 83rd on the list. The city received a dog walking score of 35.3 with its most popular breed, a Goldendoodle, and the most trending breed, a Giant Schnauzer.
86. Wichita
This Kansas city came in at 86th on the list with a score of 34.8. The most popular dog breed in Wichita was a Goldendoodle, while the highest trending breed was a Vizsla.
93. Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne was ranked at 93 with a score of 31.7. The most popular dog breed there was a Goldendoodle, while the most trending was a Chihuahua.
95. Indianapolis
The Indiana state capital was the lowest ranking Midwest city on the list. It ranked at 95 with a dog walking score of 31. The most popular breed in Indianapolis was a Goldendoodle, while the most trending breed was an American Eskimo Dog.
Top ten overall
By the numbers:
The general top ten on the list of the best cities for walking your dog:
- San Francisco: Walk score — 88.7 | Most popular breed: Golden Retriever | Top-trending breed: Standard Schnauzer
- New York: Walk score — 88 | Most popular breed: Goldendoodle | Top-trending breed: Schipperke
- Jersey City, NJ: Walk score — 86.6 | Most popular breed: Goldendoodle | Top-trending breed: English Springer Spaniel
- Boston: Walk score — 82.8 | Most popular breed: Goldendoodle | Top-trending breed: Old English Bulldog
- Chicago: Walk score — 77.2 | Most popular breed: Goldendoodle | Top-trending breed: Toy Fox Terrier
- Washington, D.C.: Walk score — 76.7 | Most popular breed: Labrador Retriever | Top-trending breed: Pomsky
- Miami: Walk score — 76.6 | Most popular breed: Goldendoodle | Top-trending breed: Coton de Tulear
- Newark, NJ: Walk score — 75.9 | Most popular breed: Labrador Retriever | Top-trending breed: Basset Hound
- Oakland, CA: Walk score — 75.3 | Most popular breed: Labrador Retriever | Top-trending breed: Miniature Schnauzer
- Philadelphia: Walk score — 74.8 | Most popular breed: Goldendoodle | Top-trending breed: American Foxhound
(Fox 32 / FOX 32 Chicago)
The full list of best dog-walking cities can be seen on Redfin's website, here.
How they ranked the cities
Big picture view:
According to Redfin, the cities were ranked using their walk score, a 0-to-100 measure of how easy it is to complete daily tasks without a car. Rover collected data for the top dog breeds in every city based on millions of user-submitted breeds on the website as of August, 2026. The most popular breeds were based on volume, whereas the top-trending breeds were based on year-over-year growth.
The Source: The data for this article comes from a study conducted by Redfin, the real estate website, in partnership with Rover, a pet care website. This story was reported from Eden Prairie, Minnesota.