If you’ve read our guides on revenue management and creating compelling offers, you know that, at Goose, we’re a huge advocate for using data to shape a winning strategy. Today, I’m excited to share a few jaw-dropping insights from a soon-to-be-released 2025 Pet Boarding Pricing Study. It’s the largest review of publicly listed boarding costs I’ve ever seen, and it’s turning up some surprises that even caught me off guard.
In this blog post, I’ll give you a sneak peek at national averages and highlight which states have the highest and lowest rates. Then, I’ll tie it back to the strategies we’ve discussed in our guides — especially around pricing, merchandising your offers, and weaving in revenue management techniques. Let’s dive in!
What We Researched
We looked at over 4,000 facilities with published prices and gathered the cheapest boarding rate for a small dog. We excluded dog-walkers who provide pet-sitting services and facilities that charge by the hour or only offer bundled pricing. Here’s what we found:
$44.99
Average U.S.
Boarding Price
$10
Minimum
Rate
$180
Maximum
Rate
$42
Median
Price
That wide range shows how much variability exists in our industry. Much of it comes from geographic location, often at the state level, and potentially from urban areas pushing prices higher. From a revenue management perspective, these numbers underscore the importance of knowing your local market. Are you in a region close to the national average, or one where the standard price is much higher or lower? Recognizing where your baseline rate stands relative to local benchmarks is the first step toward deciding if you need to reposition your pricing or highlight additional value in your services.
Biggest Pricing Gap: DC vs. Mississippi
Although technically not a state, the District of Columbia shows the highest average rate at $62.47 — nearly double Mississippi’s $31.24. This is likely tied to DC’s very urban nature. In contrast, even in states like New York with famously expensive metropolitan areas, more affordable suburbs and rural regions help balance out the statewide average.
Not surprisingly, we also saw that the Northeastern corridor and the West Coast are among the most expensive places to board a pet. Those findings align with higher cost-of-living expenses, but it’s still striking to see the numbers on paper.
10 Most Expensive States (avg. price)
dc
new jersey
california
hawaii
Massachusetts
new york
Rhode Island
Maryland
Connecticut
Washington
10 Least Expensive States (avg. price)
Mississippi
Wyoming
South Dakota
Oklahoma
North Dakota
Iowa
alabama
Missouri
Ohio
Montana
Some states not only trend higher or lower overall — they also display dramatic price differences within their borders. For instance, New York’s average boarding rate is $56.24, yet its standard deviation is a sizable $26.44. That means you could find upscale rates of $180 per night or see budget-friendly options closer to $30 or $35. This is almost certainly due to the mix of highly urban and rural areas within the state. Meanwhile, places without dense urban centers typically show more consistent pricing across facilities.
Eye-Opening Extremes
We also discovered some notable outliers in “cheapest available” rates. In New York, the highest such rate was an eye-watering $180 per night, whereas it never rose above $55 in Mississippi.
new york
(highest price)
Mississippi
(highest price)
Looking Ahead
The full pricing study will include even more granular charts, state-level breakdowns, and regional insights. We’ll also talk about how the data has shifted from earlier years and what it might mean for the future of pet care. Whether you’re an independent facility or a multi-location enterprise, these numbers can help you refine your strategies — from “entry-level” packages to top-shelf VIP experiences.
In my next article, I’ll dive deeper into preliminary findings around second-dog discounts from both a national and state-by-state angle. Stay tuned to see how multi-dog pricing strategies could impact your bottom line — and potentially lead to changes in how you package and promote your boarding services. In the meantime, if you haven’t already, I encourage you to revisit the principles of revenue management and creating compelling offers in my eBooks. We’re at a unique juncture in the pet care industry where data-driven decisions can give you an edge in an increasingly competitive market.
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