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Los Angeles has been named the rattiest city in America for the second consecutive year, according to pest control company Orkin’s 2026 rankings. The annual list is based on the number of new residential and commercial rodent treatments Orkin performed from August 9, 2025, to August 9, 2026, serving as a measure of service demand rather than the rodent population itself.
Orkin attributes Los Angeles’ top ranking to “year-round mild weather, dense neighborhoods and abundant access to food, water and shelter,” which all create prime conditions for rats and mice to thrive. After nearly a decade with Chicago at number one, Los Angeles overtook the Windy City in 2025 and has maintained its lead in 2026.
Chicago now ranks second, followed by New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., rounding out the top five. Detroit and Cleveland are also in the top ten, with several other Midwest cities reporting high rates of rodent activity.
On a state level, California led the nation with four cities in Orkin’s top 50, while Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas each had three cities on the list. Orkin’s national technical director, Dr. Shannon Sked, said, “There’s no single type of city or climate that’s immune to rodent pressure. Rats and mice are highly adaptable and can thrive in communities across the country wherever they can find food, water and shelter."