Seattle is among the top cities for pet-friendly rentals

Seattle is one of the friendliest rental markets for pet owners , though the number of rentals has dropped slightly since last year, according to a new study by Zillow and dog subscription box service Bark.

Why it matters: Trying to find housing can be challenging in a city with a widening affordability gap .

When landlords won't accept dogs and cats, it makes the process even harder for the estimated 50% of Seattle households that own pets.

State of play: But with 70% of rentals that are pet-friendly, Seattle is the nation's ninth most welcoming city for renters with dogs and cats, per the study .

• That's well above the national rate of 55%, according to the analysis based on Zillow data about the share of pet-friendly rentals in the 25 most populous U.S. cities and 13 years of subscription data from BarkBox and Super Chewer.

Yes, but: The percentage of pet-friendly rentals is down slightly in Seattle from 73% last year , per Zillow data.

The big picture: "The rise in pet ownership is clearly mirrored in our data, with 'pets allowed' becoming the #1 most sought-after filter by renters searching in Seattle on Zillow.com," Emily McDonald, Zillow rental trends expert, told Axios.

• "This trend is influencing the local rental landscape as more properties incorporate pet-friendly policies and amenities to meet the demands of a growing dog parent population."