The 10 Most Pest-Infested Cities in America, Ranked (#1-2 Might Surprise You)

There are certainly plenty of ranked lists that U.S. cities would love to be at the top of. The happiest cities, the most diverse food scenes, or even just the cities with the best coffee spots. Then there are other ranked lists you’d want to stay well away from.

One of those is the most pest-infested cities. Sadly, pests have become a huge issue for homeowners and renters around the world, and it seems like each year the problems just get worse. They carry diseases, make life miserable, and can really creep people out.

When we’re talking pests, a recent list from Toronto-based pest exterminator Pestend Pest Control has focused on rats and cockroaches. The information uses the 2021 U.S. Census data to study the prevalence of the problem, comparing the number of pests to the number of people in the city, which does actually lead to a surprising entry in the number one spot.

No. 10: New York, New York

Based on the data used, New York City lands in the tenth spot, but it would be closer to the top of the list if we were going just by the sheer volume of rats and cockroaches in the city. And if you’ve ever visited this city, you will know that they are a major issue. I will always remember going to my hotel room one day and seeing a cockroach sitting on the wall right by my door.

However, due to the number of residents, the number of pests in relation to people is lower than in the rest of the cities on this list! There were 1,164.9 rat sightings and 1,225.7 cockroach sightings in 2021. That puts for 27.2 pests per 100,000 people in the city.

No. 9: San Francisco, California

While I think many expected to see San Francisco on the list, I think some might have expected it to be a little higher. That’s purely to do with the population density and location by the ocean more than anything else. After all, the more people there are in a place, the more likely there is to be a pest problem. Pests go where the food sources are.

However, San Francisco sits in ninth place, with a total sighting ratio of 27.7 rats and cockroaches per 100,000 residents. The report didn’t go into the specific numbers of the two of them, so it’s hard to tell which one is a little more out of control compared to the other.

No. 8: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

When you want a city for culture and history, you’re likely to head to Philadelphia. It’s a beautiful place to visit, but it is one of the most pest-infested cities in the United States.

Like with the San Francisco entry, the study doesn’t go into the individual numbers. All we know is that there were 43.6 rat and cockroach sightings combined per 100,000 people living there.

No. 7: Dallas, Texas

Dallas only just beats Philadelphia in this ranking, with a 45.6 per 100,000 residents ratio. Once more, the study doesn’t break down the individual amounts that were spotted throughout 2021.

The pest numbers aren’t all that surprising when you consider that Dallas is the ninth-most populous city in the whole country. It’s also the third-most populous city in its state, and it’s not the only one of those cities on this list.

No. 6: Houston, Texas

Houston, we have a problem—and it’s a pest problem. As the second-most populous city in Texas, it’s not all that surprising that it’s ahead of Dallas in that problem. But only just!

The study goes into the breakdown again, telling us that there were 202.9 rat sightings and 957.5 cockroach sightings in 2021. That takes the ratio to 50.4 per 100,000 residents, so only up by around five.

No. 5: Riverside, California

Now, I’ll admit that this one surprised me, and that’s more because after seeing San Francisco on the list, I expected to see San Diego or Los Angeles before another California city. Well, Riverside, which is right by the Santa Ana River, takes the fifth spot, and the numbers are jumping up!

Something that is worth noting is that the number of rat and cockroach sightings is individually lower than we’ve seen so far. There were just 89.9 rat and 134 cockroach sightings in 2021, and that’s down from the significant numbers in Dallas. It’s the population numbers that put this city so high, with the combined sighting rate sitting at 71.1 per 100,000 residents.

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No. 4: Boston, Massachusetts

We head over to New England for the fourth spot, where the numbers are a little higher than the Riverside ones—but only when it comes to rats. The cockroach numbers are down, and that shouldn’t be too surprising, considering location and methods of travel over the centuries.

There were a total of 417.8 rat sightings in 2021, but only 74.4 cockroach sightings. Together, that led to a 72.8 per 100,000 sighting rate of the two creatures.

No. 3: Washington, D.C.

The capital city was always going to be on the list, right? I’m just not sure a lot of people expected it to be so high. In some good news, we’re still only in the double digits in terms of ratio. It’s the last two that take that number into triple digits,

The ratio of pest sightings is 83.7 per 100,000 people. That’s made up of 384.6 rat sightings and 228.5 cockroach sightings from 2021. With how busy this city is, some of this won’t be surprising, but it is sure to give you shivers just thinking of them.

No. 2: Miami, Florida

A city that may surprise you as being on the list is Miami, Florida. I guess the rats and cockroaches just love the vacation life that so many others do! This popular spot sits No. 2 on the list, and the numbers are likely to make you cringe the next time you’re thinking of a trip.

In 2021 alone, the city faced 80.6 rat sightings and 543.1 cockroach sightings. Due to the number of people, that’s a whopping 141 per 100,000 residents. Are you choosing another beach destination for Spring Break?

No. 1: Atlanta, Georgia

At the top of the list is Atlanta, Georgia, and not just by a small amount. With a total of 115.3 rat sightings and 712.3 cockroach sightings in 2021, the pests to humans are at a rate of 165.9 per 100,000 residents.

There is no doubt that Atlanta is a popular tourist destination, especially with Georgia being the heart of Civil War history, but are those pest figures going to put you off?

Which city surprised you the most?