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For journalists · Updated September 2026ComparePetCover is an independent US pet-insurance comparison site with an original 2026 dataset: average dog and cat premiums for all 50 states. If you're writing about the cost of pet ownership, pet insurance, or vet-care inflation, our data and our founder are available as a source — free to cite with a link.
Key 2026 figures (free to quote)
These come from ComparePetCover's 2026 Pet Insurance Cost Index. Please attribute to ComparePetCover and link to the full state-by-state study.
| Metric | 2026 figure |
|---|---|
| National average — dog (accident & illness) | $69.67 / month ($836 / year, NAPHIA 2025) |
| National average — cat | $36.25 / month ($435 / year, NAPHIA 2025) |
| Cheapest states for dogs | Arkansas and Mississippi ($61 / mo) |
| Most expensive states for dogs | California and Hawaii ($77 / mo), New Jersey ($76) |
| Variation by location | 26% from cheapest to dearest state, about $192 / year — far less than most cost guides claim |
| Premium inflation | +11.5% in one year, +33.8% since 2021 for dogs (NAPHIA) |
| Veterinary price inflation | +19.4% 2021–2025 — our calculation from BLS series CUUR0000SEMD01, not a BLS publication |
| Providers reviewed | 15 US insurers |
Story angles we can help with
- Why your ZIP code sets your premium — why the state-by-state swing is only 26%, not the 2 to 3 times most guides claim.
- The real cost of a pet in 2026 — insurance vs. paying vet bills out of pocket.
- Is pet insurance worth it? — the break-even math on a $69.67/month plan against a $2,000 to $6,000 emergency.
- How to shop for coverage — deductibles, reimbursement rates, waiting periods and pre-existing exclusions explained plainly.
Our spokesperson
Yassine Dekkak is the founder of ComparePetCover and built the site's 2026 cost index. He can speak to pet-insurance pricing, coverage, and how owners should evaluate plans — as an independent analyst, not an insurer. (Note: ComparePetCover offers general information, not insurance, financial or veterinary advice.) More on our author page.
"Most cost guides tell you your postcode decides your premium. We modelled it from public data and it does not: the spread from the cheapest state to the dearest is about 26%, roughly $192 a year. What actually moved was time. The average dog premium rose 33.8% in four years. And below state level the data simply runs out, which is why we publish no city prices at all." — Yassine Dekkak, Founder, ComparePetCover
How we research our data
Our state figures are derived, not surveyed. We take NAPHIA's published US average premium and scale it by each state's US Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parity. We do not survey insurers, we publish no quotes, and the formula is on the study page so anyone can reproduce every number. We publish our methodology openly in the cost-by-state study, and every guide carries a "last updated" date. Full detail on our standards is on our about page.
Featured coverage
As journalists and publications cite our research, we'll list that coverage here. Have you featured ComparePetCover's data? Let us know and we'll add it.
Media contact: contact@comparepetcover.com — we reply quickly to reporter requests and can provide tailored figures on deadline.