Chicago, which once held the unwanted title of the rat-infested cities leader in the US for 10 consecutive years, has handed the number one spot to Los Angeles for the second consecutive year. According to the ‘2026 Rattiest Cities’ list recently released by pest control company Orkin, Chicago ranked second.
Los Angeles, which surpassed Chicago for the first time in a decade last year to claim the top spot, maintained its position this year. New York ranked third, San Francisco fourth, and Washington D.C. fifth. They were followed by Detroit in sixth, Cleveland in seventh, Denver in eighth, Philadelphia in ninth, and Baltimore in tenth.
Chicago had maintained the number one ranking for 10 straight years until 2024 before yielding it to Los Angeles last year. The rankings are compiled based on new residential rodent control service treatment data received by Orkin from August 9 of last year to August 9 of this year, reflecting pest control performance rather than an actual direct count of the rat population.
Orkin explained that Los Angeles’ mild climate, high population density, and abundant food and shelter provide ideal conditions for rat breeding. Meanwhile, Chicago’s alleys, subway tracks, and underground plumbing have long been noted as primary providers of shelter and nesting environments for rodents.
