$1,687 per year
Dog cost reference · Model 1.0.0
Dog costs by state and size.
In the national fixed scenario, predictable care is about $1,687 per year for a small dog, $1,834 for a medium dog, and $2,021 for a large dog.
Updated: August 13, 2026 · Model 1.0.0
National dog-cost reference
$1,834 per year
$2,021 per year
Fixed reference scenario: one adult pet; insurance benchmark included; setup, dental, boarding, professional grooming, and emergency savings excluded. The ten-year figure repeats the annual estimate in flat dollars. Displayed dollars are rounded, while each table cell’s machine-readable value retains full precision.
Annual dog cost by state
Size affects food and preventive medication in this model. The medium-dog monthly column offers a quick comparison; use the calculator for a different scenario.
| Location | Small / year | Medium / year | Large / year | Medium / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. average | $1,687 | $1,834 | $2,021 | $153 |
| Alabama | $1,657 | $1,799 | $1,980 | $150 |
| Alaska | $1,735 | $1,891 | $2,091 | $158 |
| Arizona | $1,671 | $1,812 | $1,990 | $151 |
| Arkansas | $1,635 | $1,773 | $1,949 | $148 |
| California | $1,735 | $1,891 | $2,090 | $158 |
| Colorado | $1,680 | $1,826 | $2,011 | $152 |
| Connecticut | $1,682 | $1,826 | $2,008 | $152 |
| Delaware | $1,670 | $1,812 | $1,993 | $151 |
| District of Columbia | $1,738 | $1,895 | $2,095 | $158 |
| Florida | $1,682 | $1,827 | $2,011 | $152 |
| Georgia | $1,674 | $1,820 | $2,005 | $152 |
| Hawaii | $1,769 | $1,933 | $2,142 | $161 |
| Idaho | $1,664 | $1,806 | $1,987 | $150 |
| Illinois | $1,713 | $1,866 | $2,061 | $155 |
| Indiana | $1,659 | $1,800 | $1,979 | $150 |
| Iowa | $1,628 | $1,766 | $1,942 | $147 |
| Kansas | $1,632 | $1,771 | $1,947 | $148 |
| Kentucky | $1,656 | $1,797 | $1,977 | $150 |
| Louisiana | $1,637 | $1,775 | $1,951 | $148 |
| Maine | $1,683 | $1,826 | $2,009 | $152 |
| Maryland | $1,710 | $1,861 | $2,053 | $155 |
| Massachusetts | $1,692 | $1,838 | $2,023 | $153 |
| Michigan | $1,668 | $1,810 | $1,990 | $151 |
| Minnesota | $1,693 | $1,841 | $2,030 | $153 |
| Mississippi | $1,653 | $1,795 | $1,976 | $150 |
| Missouri | $1,651 | $1,793 | $1,973 | $149 |
| Montana | $1,661 | $1,802 | $1,983 | $150 |
| Nebraska | $1,630 | $1,769 | $1,945 | $147 |
| Nevada | $1,663 | $1,805 | $1,985 | $150 |
| New Hampshire | $1,694 | $1,839 | $2,024 | $153 |
| New Jersey | $1,744 | $1,902 | $2,102 | $158 |
| New Mexico | $1,661 | $1,803 | $1,983 | $150 |
| New York | $1,747 | $1,905 | $2,106 | $159 |
| North Carolina | $1,663 | $1,805 | $1,987 | $150 |
| North Dakota | $1,633 | $1,775 | $1,954 | $148 |
| Ohio | $1,648 | $1,786 | $1,962 | $149 |
| Oklahoma | $1,637 | $1,775 | $1,951 | $148 |
| Oregon | $1,722 | $1,877 | $2,075 | $156 |
| Pennsylvania | $1,685 | $1,831 | $2,018 | $153 |
| Rhode Island | $1,682 | $1,825 | $2,007 | $152 |
| South Carolina | $1,661 | $1,804 | $1,984 | $150 |
| South Dakota | $1,635 | $1,775 | $1,955 | $148 |
| Tennessee | $1,650 | $1,792 | $1,973 | $149 |
| Texas | $1,668 | $1,812 | $1,997 | $151 |
| Utah | $1,664 | $1,807 | $1,988 | $151 |
| Vermont | $1,678 | $1,822 | $2,004 | $152 |
| Virginia | $1,692 | $1,840 | $2,029 | $153 |
| Washington | $1,729 | $1,882 | $2,078 | $157 |
| West Virginia | $1,668 | $1,811 | $1,992 | $151 |
| Wisconsin | $1,653 | $1,792 | $1,969 | $149 |
| Wyoming | $1,663 | $1,804 | $1,982 | $150 |
Highest and lowest modeled states
Hawaii has the highest medium-dog reference at $1,933 per year. Iowa has the lowest at $1,766 per year. Those figures use identical pet assumptions, which makes the state comparison consistent but not personal.
The planning range runs from 85% to 125% of the central estimate. It is a budgeting heuristic—not a statistical confidence interval. For real decisions, replace food, routine veterinary care, prevention, insurance, boarding, and grooming assumptions with current written prices.
Questions about these estimates
How much does a medium dog cost per month in this model?
The national reference estimate is $153 per month for one adult medium dog in the fixed scenario. It includes the insurance benchmark but excludes setup, dental, boarding, professional grooming, and emergency savings.
Why do small, medium, and large dog estimates differ?
Dog size changes only the model's food and preventive-medication categories. It does not change the veterinary, insurance, toy, or other baseline categories.
Is the highest-cost state always the most expensive for my dog?
No. Breed, age, health, diet, insurance design, provider prices, grooming, boarding, and housing can outweigh the broad state adjustment. Use this table as a consistent comparison and collect local quotes for decisions.