No, you’re not dreaming; your suburb really is being taken over by cavoodles, collies, cats and even cockatiels. If you live anywhere near a major city in Australia, chances are you, your neighbour or your barista has a furry (or feathered) friend. In fact, new research shows more than two-thirds (69 per cent) of Aussie households have one or more pets – putting Australia among the top pet-loving nations worldwide.
Curious which Aussie suburbs are seriously pet-obsessed? Pet insurance provider Petsy has done the digging — read on to find out if your neighbourhood made the list!
While Sydney might be known for its matchbox-sized apartments, it hasn’t deterred city dwellers from getting a pet. The inner-city suburb of Rosebery tied with beachy Maroubra for first place, while the bustling 'burbs of Alexandria (second), North Sydney (fourth), and Marrickville (fifth) rounded out NSW’s top five. Looks like high-rise apartment living hasn’t put a “paws” on pet ownership.
In Victoria, it’s a similar story, with Melbourne City and Berwick (just outside the CBD) tied for first with the highest dog and cat populations. Other trendy spots like Preston, St Kilda and South Yarra also cracked the list. Meanwhile, over in Queensland, the Goldy is where pets reign supreme – Pimpama, Southport and Coomera have claimed their spots on the pet ownership leaderboard.
In South Australia and Western Australia, where space isn’t tight, the trend flips – it’s all about suburbs with big backyards and beach access when it comes to having doggies and moggies. You can check out the top five for each state below.
The Australian suburbs with the biggest pet populations
NSW
- Rosebery and Maroubra
- Alexandria
- Macquarie Park
- North Sydney
- Marrickville
Victoria
- Melbourne and Berwick
- Point Cook
- Preston
- St Kilda and Pakenham
- South Yarra and Glen Iris
Queensland
- Pimpama
- Southport and Coomera
- Upper Coomera and Cleveland
- Varsity Lakes, Nerang, Morningside, Moorooka, Riverview, Greenbank and Maudsland
- Buderim, Redbank Plains, Palm Beach and Nundah
South Australia
- Woodcroft
- Mount Barker
- Prospect
- Aberfoyle Park
- Henley Beach
Western Australia
- Scarborough
- Baldivis
- Waikiki and Port Kennedy
- Mount Lawley and Fremantle
- Rivervale