Iowa Is One Of The Cheapest States To Own A Dog

You don't have as much of an excuse to not adopt a pet as other states might.

I've owned both dogs and cats and while I love all of them, pets can be expensive. Vet bills make me nauseous. Their food and grooming isn't cheap. You have to put money into keeping them alive and happy.

MarketWatch looked at the average cost of dog ownership by state. They found that on average, a dog owner in the U.S. will spend about $28,000 on the dog over the course of the pet's lifetime.

Iowa Is Less Than That

MarketWatch found that Iowa ranks 40th in the nation for dog ownership cost. Meaning, we're paying less than the national average. The study found that these are the average metrics for Iowa:

• Puppy cost: $902
• Annual cost: $2,309
• Lifetime: $26,296

Mind you, that's assuming you were to buy a purebred puppy. You can (and should) adopt a pup from a local animal shelter. I think my dog's adoption fee was like $20 when he was a puppy and he's been my bestie for years. Plus when they're adopted, they've likely been spayed/neutered and have their vaccines. That alone can save you $500.

The added costs of food, grooming, boarding, yearly shots and vet visits could definitely add up to that $2,309 annual cost average. Pet insurance is also something a lot of dog owners pay for, which can run you $510/year.

So if you have someone to come look after the dog(s) so you don't have to board them on vacation and if they can stand for you to groom them yourself, that's about $1000 you're probably saving in annual costs.

Every pup is different with different needs and therefore costs. Adopting a dog from the shelter is one of the best ways to save money right up front.