Los Angeles has the worst rat problem in the latest national ranking—not New York. Orkin’s October 28, 2025, list put Los Angeles first, Chicago second, and New York third. But the ranking measures Orkin’s rodent-service activity, not the total number of rats living in each city.
Los Angeles is the answer according to the latest national ranking—but that does not mean scientists have counted more rats there than anywhere else. Orkin’s October 28, 2025, Top 50 Rattiest Cities list ranked Los Angeles first, Chicago second, and New York third. It was the first time Los Angeles had taken the top position in the ranking’s history.
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The important qualification is that Orkin’s list measures the company’s own rodent-service activity, not a literal census of every rat in the United States. The ranking was based on new rodent services performed in owner-occupied residences between August 20, 2024, and August 21, 2025. It is best understood as an indicator of reported or serviced rodent pressure within Orkin’s customer data.
The top three “rattiest” U.S. cities in the latest ranking
| Rank | City | State |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | California |
| 2 | Chicago | Illinois |
| 3 | New York | New York |
This ranking should not be read as proof that Los Angeles has a larger biological rat population than every other American city. Cities collect and report rodent information differently, and commercial-service data are affected by who uses that company, where it operates, and who can afford or chooses to request treatment.
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Why Los Angeles may have such a serious rat problem
Several conditions can make Los Angeles a favorable environment for rodents. Orkin points to the city’s year-round warm weather, dense neighborhoods, food availability, and alleyways. These are plausible contributing factors, not causes proven by the ranking itself.
Food and garbage
Rats need reliable access to food and water. Los Angeles County’s response to a 2024–2025 Civil Grand Jury report identified trash, discarded food, fecal matter, illegal dumping, and cleanup coordination as important conditions and intervention points in rat-related complaints.
For households with pets, attractants can include unsecured garbage, spilled birdseed, outdoor pet food, and food left in bowls overnight. A citywide problem cannot be solved by one household, but reducing food access around a home can make that property less attractive to rodents.
Dense neighborhoods and hidden shelter
Alleys, walls, crawl spaces, landscaping, utility routes, construction gaps, and other urban infrastructure give rats places to hide and travel. In multifamily housing, an infestation may also move between units or originate in a shared trash area, basement, courtyard, or adjoining structure.
Warm weather
Los Angeles does not experience the same prolonged freezing conditions found in some colder regions. Its relatively warm climate may help rodents remain active throughout the year. Climate alone, however, does not explain a city’s ranking: sanitation, building conditions, waste management, reporting behavior, and access to pest-control services also matter.
Why New York is not No. 1 in this list
New York still has a major rat problem. The New York City Health Department says it receives approximately 40,000 complaints about rat activity through 311 each year. That is substantial evidence of persistent resident-reported activity, but New York placed third in Orkin’s latest ranking.
There is no contradiction. New York’s figure comes from a municipal 311 complaint system, while Orkin’s list comes from new services performed for its customers in owner-occupied residences. Those numbers measure different populations, behaviors, and time periods. They cannot be directly compared to determine which city contains more rats.
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So the accurate conclusion is not that New York has become rat-free—or even that it has suddenly become less troubled than Los Angeles in every respect. It is that Los Angeles ranked ahead of New York in the latest Orkin service-activity ranking.
Chicago remains the historical benchmark
Chicago had long been associated with the top position in Orkin’s annual list. In 2025, it moved to second, but the city continues to maintain one of the country’s most visible municipal rodent-reporting systems.
Chicago’s rodent data include open rodent-baiting requests, rat complaints submitted through 311, and completed requests dating back to January 1, 2011. The city says its Department of Streets and Sanitation investigates reported sightings, examines alley conditions, and may place rodenticide in rat burrows.
A 2026 report citing Chicago’s data portal said the city recorded approximately 44,000 rodent-baiting or rat complaints in 2025. That number provides useful local context, but it does not establish that Chicago is worse or better than Los Angeles. Chicago’s municipal requests and Los Angeles’s Orkin service data are not equivalent measurements.
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What the ranking can—and cannot—tell us
The ranking is a commercial-service indicator, not a national rat census. Treat it as evidence that Los Angeles generated the most qualifying Orkin rodent-service activity during the specified period, rather than as a precise measurement of its total rat population.
The available indicators capture different parts of the problem:
- Orkin’s ranking: new rodent services in owner-occupied residences within Orkin’s customer data during a defined 12-month period.
- Chicago’s data: municipal 311 rodent-baiting and rat-complaint requests. Duplicate requests and residents’ reporting habits can affect the totals.
- New York’s data: resident complaints submitted through 311 and processed by the city’s Health Department.
- Peer-reviewed complaint research: studies of Chicago reporting warn that complaint data represent only a portion of actual sightings and are influenced by residents’ ability, knowledge, and motivation to report.
A city may appear high on a list because it has more rodents, more residents reporting them, greater public awareness, better access to complaint systems, more service use, or a different mix of housing and customers. Usually, several of these factors overlap.
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What pet owners should do if they see signs of rats
Whether you live in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, or a smaller community, the first response is the same: remove attractants, block entry points, and handle evidence safely. Watch for:
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- Gnaw marks on food packaging, wood, plastic, wiring, or pet supplies
- Urine spots or a strong musky odor
- Nesting material such as shredded paper, fabric, insulation, or plant matter
- Greasy rub marks along frequently used routes
- Scratching or movement in walls, ceilings, attics, crawl spaces, or under floors
- Burrows or fresh digging near foundations, sheds, patios, trash areas, or dense vegetation
1. Remove food and water sources
- Store dry pet food, birdseed, and livestock feed in sturdy, sealed containers.
- Do not leave pet food outdoors overnight, and clean spilled food promptly.
- Use garbage containers with tight-fitting lids.
- Clean food residue from floors, counters, outdoor areas, and feeding stations.
- Repair leaks and eliminate standing water where practical.
2. Seal likely entry points
Inspect the area where pipes, cables, vents, doors, and utility lines enter the building. Check foundations, roof lines, garages, crawl spaces, and gaps around windows. Seal holes and other openings with durable materials appropriate to the location; rats can chew through many soft or temporary patches.
In a rental or multifamily building, notify the landlord, property manager, or local housing authority when the source may be structural or located in a shared area. Treating one apartment while leaving an open route through a wall, basement, or trash enclosure may not solve the problem.
3. Use traps carefully for indoor activity
For evidence of rats inside the home, the CDC recommends traditional snap traps and notes that rat traps differ from mouse traps. Place traps where activity has been observed, generally along walls or near likely travel routes, and follow the product directions.
If you are selecting rat snap traps, choose the correct size for rats rather than assuming a small mouse trap will be adequate. Keep every trap inaccessible to children and pets, including cats and dogs that may investigate hidden spaces. Check traps regularly and dispose of captured rodents safely.
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Traps are a household response to indoor rodent evidence—not a solution to Los Angeles’s municipal rat problem. The CDC advises against using glue traps and live traps as a default household approach. Rodenticide can also pose a serious poisoning risk to pets and wildlife; never place bait where an animal or child could reach it, and follow the label exactly.
4. Clean contaminated material safely
Rodent droppings, urine, nesting material, and dead rodents can carry harmful contaminants. Do not sweep or vacuum dry droppings or nesting debris, since that can send contaminated particles into the air. Follow CDC cleaning guidance: ventilate the space, use appropriate disinfectant, allow it to soak as directed, wear suitable protective equipment, and place waste in sealed bags.
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Keep pets away from contaminated areas until they have been cleaned. If a dog or cat has eaten bait, caught a rat, or may have contacted a poisoned rodent, contact a veterinarian or animal poison-control resource immediately and retain the product label if available.
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Professional help is appropriate when trapping does not resolve the activity, sightings continue, rats are entering through structural defects, or the infestation involves an attic, crawl space, wall void, sewer connection, or shared building area. It is also sensible when a household cannot safely place traps because of children, pets, or other animals.
Look for a properly licensed local pest-control provider that can inspect and exclude rodents, not simply place bait. Ask what entry points will be sealed, how pets and wildlife will be protected, how carcasses will be handled, and what follow-up is included. Los Angeles County’s material emphasizes sanitation, cleanup, coordination among agencies and property owners, and ongoing abatement—important reminders that extermination alone may not address the source.
The bottom line on America’s worst rat city
Los Angeles is No. 1 in the latest located Orkin “Top 50 Rattiest Cities” ranking, followed by Chicago and New York. That makes it the current answer to the headline, but not proof that Los Angeles contains more rats than every other U.S. city. The ranking reflects Orkin’s new rodent services in owner-occupied residences from August 2024 to August 2025. Official Los Angeles County material independently supports the picture of persistent rat-related complaints and sanitation challenges.
For pet owners, the practical lesson is more useful than the ranking itself: secure food and garbage, seal entry points, use appropriate traps cautiously for indoor activity, clean contamination safely, and involve a qualified professional when the problem persists or affects a shared or structural part of the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
What U.S. city has the worst rat problem?
According to Orkin’s October 2025 ranking, Los Angeles is the rattiest city in the United States, followed by Chicago and New York. The ranking is based on new Orkin rodent services in owner-occupied residences, not a direct count of rats.
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No. New York remains a serious rat-problem city and receives approximately 40,000 rat-activity complaints through 311 each year. It ranked third in Orkin’s latest list because the two sources measure different things.
What is the safest way to deal with rats around pets?
The CDC recommends traditional snap traps for evidence of rats indoors. Use rat-sized traps, place them near observed activity, follow the label, and keep traps and any bait inaccessible to pets and children. The CDC does not recommend glue traps or live traps as a default household approach.
The Bottom Line
Los Angeles currently leads the latest Orkin ranking of “rattiest” U.S. cities, with Chicago second and New York third. The list measures qualifying Orkin service activity—not the total number of rats—so it should be treated as an indicator of reported and serviced rodent pressure, not a biological census.
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