Terminix Unveils 2024 Top 50 Most Rodent-Infested Cities

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Rodent infestations are surging again this fall, according to the 2024 Top 50 Most Rodent-Infested U.S. Cities Report from Terminix, a Rentokil Terminix company. Based on more than 165,000 service requests nationwide, the report reveals consistently high rodent activity year over year, underscoring the persistent threat to homeowners.

“Rodents don’t just appear — they invade homes where conditions are inviting,” said Emory Matts, board-certified entomologist and technical service manager at Terminix. “With residential rodent activity climbing year over year, homeowners who wait risk costly damage to their property and serious health hazards for their families.”

Several factors are driving rodents closer to homes, including:

Urban growth and home construction: Rapid development can leave gaps and entry points in new and older homes that rodents readily exploit.

Rodents move with people: As neighborhoods expand and populations shift, rodents often travel alongside, seeking food and shelter in residential areas.

Warmer weather extends breeding: Milder winters and longer warm seasons lead to longer breeding periods, increasing rodent populations around homes.

Here are the Top 10 Most Rodent-Infested Cities:

1. New York
2. Los Angeles (+1)
3. San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose (-1)
4. Philadelphia
5. Chicago (+1)
6. Washington, D.C. (Hagerstown) (-1)
7. Houston
8. Dallas-Ft. Worth (+1)
9. Boston (Manchester) (-1)
10. Atlanta

Additional cities showing notable increases in residential rodent activity include Detroit, Tampa-St. Pete (Sarasota), Memphis, Nashville, San Antonio, Austin and Birmingham.