Americans are plagued by all kinds of pests, from bed bugs and roaches to fleas and termites. One of the most longstanding of these pests is rats, which tend to infiltrate the homes and businesses of highly populated areas. Seeking food and shelter, these rodents can carry diseases, leave behind nasty droppings, and cause damage to buildings.
To keep an eye on these places the next time you travel or move, Orkin has released its annual list of the "rattiest" cities for 2023. The company said analysts "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."
A popular Florida destination broke into the Top 20 again this year, and that's the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area. It moved up one spot in the 2023 rankings, coming in the No. 19 spot. The metro is the highest-ranking city representing the Sunshine State, as well. The Tampa-St. Petersburg area ranked at No. 36 followed by the Orlando-Daytona Beach metro area.
"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," researchers wrote.
Here are the Top 10 most rat-infested cities in America for 2023:
- Chicago
- Los Angeles
- New York
- Washington D.C.
- San Francisco
- Philadelphia
- Baltimore
- Denver
- Detroit
- Cleveland-Akron
Visit Orkin's website for the full report and tips on how to prevent rats from invading into your home.