This City Has the Worst Rat Problem in the U.S.-and No, It's Not New York

"For the last 10 years, the city bearing that burden has been Chicago. But for the first time in a decade, a new city has been crowned the most rat-infested city. To determine which city is most rat-infested this year, Orkin reported that it tracked which city had the most "new rodent services in owner-occupied residences from Aug. 20, 2024, to Aug. 21, 2025.""

"Based on this data, Los Angeles has been named the "Rattiest City in America." In the complete list of the 50 most, four different cities in California were actually represented: Los Angeles in the top spot, San Francisco at No. 4, Sacramento at No. 19, and San Diego at No. 24. Chicago didn't do much better this year: it only moved down to the No. 2 spot on the list."

"Beyond the general icky vibes that rats have, they also pose a huge structural problem. "Rats and mice are more than a nuisance-they're opportunists," Ian Williams, an Orkin entomologist, said in a release obtained by Travel + Leisure. "If there's food, warmth and a way in, they'll find it. And once inside, their constant chewing and rapid reproduction can quickly turn a small issue into a large, expensive one.""

Orkin tracked new rodent services in owner-occupied residences from Aug. 20, 2024, to Aug. 21, 2025, to determine rat infestation levels. Los Angeles ranked first as America's Rattiest City. Chicago, which held the top spot for the previous 10 years, moved to No. 2 while still experiencing high rodent activity across dense urban areas. Four California cities appeared among the top 50: Los Angeles (1), San Francisco (4), Sacramento (19), and San Diego (24). Rats and mice act as opportunists drawn to food, warmth, and entry points; their chewing and rapid reproduction can quickly create costly structural damage.

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