Age

• While a Hitwise research found that the eco-friendly audience is more likely to be older than 45 years, a report by The Toy Association suggests that it is millennial parents who are more inclined towards eco-friendly products.
• According to research by ProdigyWorks and The Toy Association, millennial parents' preference for sustainable products is a reflection of the generation's "values to live more sustainably."
• The IISD report corroborates the findings by The Toy Association by stating that most eco-friendly Americans who are young adults being influenced by their children.

Location and Ethnicity

• According to Hitwise, Massachusetts and Maryland were the states with the highest numbers of green consumers. Assuming that the number of green parents is directly proportional to the overall number green consumers, then these states would be among the top locations for eco-friendly parents.
• According to World Population Review, Maryland and Massachusetts are both predominantly White states, which could be an indication that the majority of eco-friendly parents are white. Also, the majority of the population in both states live in urban areas.

Lifestyle

• According to The Balance SMB, 81% U.S. families with children purchase organic food at least periodically.
• According to the Hitwise survey, 81% of the audience that identify as eco-friendly, including parents with children, make an effort to recycle with 72% feeling obligated to do so.
• They also showed a fondness for technology and, surprisingly, most (60%) like to drive, which conflicts with their eco-friendly lifestyle.

Education and Income

• Based on data by several reports, including one from Nielsen, it is apparent that eco-friendly products are more expensive than conventional goods, and eco-friendly consumers have to pay more. Thus, eco-friendly parents would have to be high-income Americans to afford eco-friendly products for themselves and their children.
• According to data by the Current Population Survey, the higher the education level, the higher the income level in the United States. That would mean that eco-friendly parents are likely to be moderately to highly educated.
• The IISD report corroborates these assumptions by stating that most green consumers have high spending abilities and are intellectual/highly educated. Notably, the BioResources study conducted in Turkey also had similar findings.

RESEARCH STRATEGY

Age

•  Thirty-five percent of pet owners in the United States are Millennials, 32% are Baby Boomers, and 33% are from across other generations.
• The rate of pet-ownership among individuals aged 45-54 is the highest (57.4%); however, those aged 18-34 have the most pets simply because they are greater in number.
• According to Mintel, 75% of individuals in their 30s own dogs and 51% own cats.
•  Seventy-two percent of all Millennials own a pet.
•  Forty-three percent of Millennials who do not currently own a pet say they want one in the future.
• The pet-ownership rate among individuals aged 70+ increased from 34% to 40% over the last decade.
• The average age of a cat owner is 55 to 64 years and that of a dog owner is 45 to 54 years.
• The average age of a pet owner is 48 years.

Lifestyle

• Millennials are replacing babies with cats and dogs, they are more educated about the nutritional needs of their pet, and are willing to spend more on premium natural food products.
• According to the Human Animal Bond Research Institute, young pet owners are "more likely to say money is no object when it comes to their pets".
• Younger millennials ($173.67/ month) spend more than double those aged 55+ ($80.43/month).
• Millennials are more likely to use veterinary products to prevent disease than only for treatment. They are more likely to get dental rinses done, use products continuously, and follow the vet's advice as a conscientious pet parent.
• The Millennial generation has a home-ownership rate that is 8% lesser than Generation X.
•  Two in three family households own a pet versus 46.6% non-family households.
• The majority of pet parents see their pets as family: 85% dog owners, 76% cat owners, 57% bird owners, and 47% horse owners.
• Over four in five (80%) pet owners say that “companionship, love, company, affection” are the positives of owning a pet.
• According to the American Housing Survey, between 2013 and 2017, the share of households with pets increased from 49.2% to 50% and the share of households with at least one child younger than 18 years dipped from 28.6% to 27%.

Education

• The education level breakup of pet owners: high school or general educational development (11.2%), College or a 2-year degree (31.8%), 4-year degree (28.6%), graduate degree (26.6%), and others (1.7%).

Marital Status

• Married adults (57%) are more likely to be pet owners than single individuals (42.9%).

Home Ownership

• Home-owners (57%) are more likely than renters (37%) to own pets.

Income

• The median income of a pet-owning household is $55,000, similar to that of the average household in America.
• The average income of a cat owner ($40,000-$49,999) is lesser than that of a dog owner ($75,000-$99,999).

Location

• In areas with a population of 100,000 or lesser, 67.1% owned pets versus 51.6% in areas with a population of over 2 million.
• Rural states had a higher rate of pet ownership compare to urban states.
• States with the highest per ownership:
• Wyoming (72%)
• West Virginia (71%)
• Nebraska (70%)
• Vermont (70%)
• Idaho (70%)
• Indiana (69%)
• Arkansas (69%)
• Mississippi (65%)
• Oklahoma (65%)
• Colorado (65%)
• States with the lowest pet ownership:
• Rhode Island (45%)
• South Dakota (46%)
• New York (50%)
• New Jersey (47%)
• Maryland (49%)
• Illinois (49%)
• Massachusetts (49%)
• Connecticut (50%)
• Georgia (51%)
• New Hampshire (52%)

Ethnicity

• The rate of pet ownership is highest among White households (64.7%), followed by Hispanic households (64.1%), and lowest among African-American households (36.9%).
• According to a report by Petfood Industry, 70% of Caucasians, 69% of Hispanics, 44% of African Americans, and 43% of Asians in the United States, own at least one pet.
•  Second and third-generation Hispanics own most of the pets among the Hispanic community.
• The share of white households with pets (57.9%) is significantly greater than the share of white households with at least one child younger than 18 years (23.1%).

Research Strategy