Chicago Tops 'Rattiest Cities' List for Ninth Consecutive Year, Los Angeles and New York Follow

Orkin's annual 'Rattiest Cities' ranking lists metropolises based on the number of new rodent treatments, with Chicago securing the notorious top spot for nine straight years, Los Angeles moving up to second, and New York slipping to third.

Chicago has been named the 'rattiest' city in the United States by Orkin for the ninth consecutive year, based on the number of new rodent treatments conducted from September 2022 to August 2023.
Los Angeles climbed to the second spot this year and New York, despite efforts such as hiring a 'rat czar,' slipped to the third position.
Orkin's list is released in the fall each year to highlight the issue of rodents invading an estimated 21 million homes across the country, particularly between October and February as they seek food, water, and shelter.
The rankings indicate demand for extermination and pest control services at residences and businesses, rather than an actual count of rodents in each city.
Other cities that made the top ten in 2023 were Washington DC, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Denver, Detroit, and the Cleveland-Akron area in Ohio.