Rattiest cities list

Chicago continues its first-place run in the rat race, topping Orkin’s Top 50 Rattiest Cities List for the ninth year in a row. Los Angeles moved up to the #2 ranking while New York rounds out the top three spots. Jumping up 10 spots this year is Houston to #20, and Greensboro, N.C., moves up 17 spots to take #50.

New this year, Orkin is celebrating Chicago’s top spot placement by releasing a limited-edition t-shirt made available for free while supplies last. The shirt will feature a Top Rattiest City design made specifically for Chicago, commemorating the dedication of the city as it perseveres in the battle against rodents.

Cities on the Rattiest Cities List are based on the number of new rodent services showcasing the demand and also indicates the efforts that residents and businesses of the top cities have taken to treat rodent issues.

Orkin ranked metro regions by the number of new rodent treatments performed from Sept.1, 2022, to Aug. 31, 2023. This ranking includes both residential and commercial pest control treatments:

1. CHICAGO

2. LOS ANGELES (+1)

3. NEW YORK (-1)

4. WASHINGTON, DC

5. SAN FRANCISCO

6. PHILADELPHIA

7. BALTIMORE

8. DENVER

9. DETROIT (+1)

10. CLEVELAND-AKRON (-1)

11. MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL

12. SEATTLE

13. BOSTON

14. ATLANTA

15. INDIANAPOLIS

16. PITTSBURGH

17. HARTFORD

18. COLUMBUS, OH (+3)

19. MIAMI-FT. LAUDERDALE (+1)

20. HOUSTON (+10)

21. CHARLOTTE (+16)

22. DALLAS-FT. WORTH (+2)

23. RALEIGH-DURHAM (+8)

24. MILWAUKEE (-6)

25. GRAND RAPIDS (-2)

26. PORTLAND, OREGON (-4)

27. NORFOLK-PORTSMTH (+1)

28. SAN DIEGO (-9)

29. RICHMOND-PETERSBURG (+3)

30. NEW ORLEANS (+8)

31. CINCINNATI (-6)

32. GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG (+10)

33. SACRAMENTO (+7)

34. KANSAS CITY (-5)

35. NASHVILLE (-9)

36. TAMPA-ST. PETE (+5)

37. ORLANDO-DAYTONA BCH (+12)

38. BUFFALO (-5)

39. ST. LOUIS (-5)

40. PHOENIX (+5)

41. CHAMPAIGN, IILINOIS (-14)

42. ALBANY-TROY (-6)

43. FLINT (-8)

44. BURLINGTON-PLATTSBURGH (+4)

45. ALBUQUERQUE (+17)

46. ROCHESTER, NEW YORK (+5)

47. SOUTH BEND, INDIANA (-4)

48. SYRACUSE (-9)

49. CHARLESTON-HUNTINGTON (-2)

50. GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA (+17)

Each fall, mice and other rodents invade an estimated 21 million homes in the United States. They typically enter homes between October and February looking for food, water and shelter from the cold.

“Rodents multiply swiftly and when an infestation is left unattended, they can cause extensive damage to homes and yards,” saYS Ben Hottel, an Orkin entomologist. “Rats are capable of squeezing into spaces through holes as small as a quarter, which makes it especially important to seal cracks from the outside.”

Rodents can cause health issues and also severe structural damage with their strong jaws and burrowing skills. They have oversized front teeth for gnawing, and teeth which are adapted for chewing a variety of items including electrical wires, water pipes and gas lines.

Read up on rodent prevention tips here.