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When you think of rat-infested cities, dense metropolitan areas on the East Coast might first come to mind. However, according to pest control giant Orkin, Los Angeles also has a serious problem with the troublesome rodents.

Orkin has released its annual list of America’s “Rattiest” cities, and the City of Angeles landed in the number two spot, climbing one notch year-over-year.

Chicago was number one for the ninth consecutive year. San Fransisco was No. 5, San Diego was No. 28 and Sacramento was 33rd.

The rankings, Orkin says, are not based on the number of rats in the city or any official count (as if that were possible), but instead are drawn from “the number of new rodent services” – meaning how often they’re called to deal with rat infestation.

“Rodents multiply swiftly and when an infestation is left unattended, they can cause extensive damage to homes and yards,” Ben Hottel, an Orkin entomologist, said in a news release announcing the 2023 list. “Rats are capable of squeezing into spaces through holes as small as a quarter, which makes it especially important to seal cracks from the outside.”

Olvera Street Rats
Video shared with KTLA shows rodents crawling along streets, sidewalks and under vendor stands, scavenging for food. Oct 2023.

Merchants along Los Angeles’ famed Olvera Street have recently complained that an infestation of rats is threatening their livelihoods. Video shared with KTLA shows rodents crawling along streets, sidewalks, and under vendor stands, scavenging for food.

Rats can not only cause damage to property, but they also carry many diseases including Hantavirus, Leptospirosis and even Monkeypox, according to the CDC.

Orkin estimates mice, rats and other rodents invade an estimated 21 million homes in the U.S. each fall and winter when temperatures cool and they are looking for food and shelter.

Orkin’s 2023 Top Rattiest Cities

  1. CHICAGO
  2. LOS ANGELES (+1)
  3. NEW YORK (-1)
  4. WASHINGTON, DC
  5. SAN FRANCISCO
  6. PHILADELPHIA
  7. BALTIMORE
  8. DENVER
  9. DETROIT (+1)
  10. CLEVELAND-AKRON (-1)
  11. MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL
  12. SEATTLE
  13. BOSTON
  14. ATLANTA
  15. INDIANAPOLIS
  16. PITTSBURGH
  17. HARTFORD
  18. COLUMBUS, OH (+3)
  19. MIAMI-FT. LAUDERDALE (+1)
  20. HOUSTON (+10)
  21. CHARLOTTE (+16)
  22. DALLAS-FT. WORTH (+2)
  23. RALEIGH-DURHAM (+8)
  24. MILWAUKEE (-6)
  25. GRAND RAPIDS (-2)
  26. PORTLAND, OR (-4)
  27. NORFOLK-PORTSMOUTH (+1)
  28. SAN DIEGO (-9)
  29. RICHMOND-PETERSBURG (+3)
  30. NEW ORLEANS (+8)
  31. CINCINNATI (-6)
  32. GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG (+10)
  33. SACRAMENTO (+7)
  34. KANSAS CITY (-5)
  35. NASHVILLE (-9)
  36. TAMPA-ST. PETE (+5)
  37. ORLANDO-DAYTONA BCH (+12)
  38. BUFFALO (-5)
  39. ST. LOUIS (-5)
  40. PHOENIX (+5)
  41. CHAMPAIGN, IL (-14)
  42. ALBANY-TROY (-6)
  43. FLINT (-8)
  44. BURLINGTON-PLATTSBURGH (+4)
  45. ALBUQUERQUE (+17)
  46. ROCHESTER, NY (+5)
  47. SOUTH BEND, IN (-4)
  48. SYRACUSE (-9)
  49. CHARLESTON-HUNTINGTON (-2)
  50. GREENSBORO, N.C. (+17)

For Chicagoans who want to wear their “rattiest city” title with pride as they would a sports championship, Orkin is offering these colorful t-shirts.

To prevent rat infestation in your home, Orkin recommends keeping food sealed and stored, removing clutter, especially cardboard which they chew and use for their nests, maintaining the landscaping around your home, and inspecting for rodents frequently.