
Courtesy of Orkin
ATLANTA - Chicago, Ill., holds onto its spot as the most bed bug-infested city for the fifth consecutive year in the nation on Orkin's 2025 Top 50 Bed Bug Cities List. Following Chicago is Cleveland, Ohio (No. 2), Detroit, Mich., (No. 3), Los Angeles, Calif. (No. 4) and Indianapolis, Ind. (No. 5).
Hartford, Conn., made the biggest leap in Orkin's 2025 Top 50 Bed Bug Cities List, debuting at No. 35 after jumping an unprecedented 48 spots – indicating a significant increase in bed bug activity.
In contrast, Charlotte (no. 31), Philadelphia (no. 24) and New York (no. 15) all saw significant drops, suggesting fewer reported bed bug infestations compared to the previous year.
This year's rankings are based on treatment data from metro areas where Orkin performed the most bed bug treatments from May 15, 2024 – May 14, 2025. The list includes both residential bed bug control and commercial bed bug treatments:
1.) Chicago
2.) Cleveland (+2)
3.) Detroit (+3)
4.) Los Angeles (+1)
5.) Indianapolis (+3)
6.) Washington, D.C. (+1)
7.) Grand Rapids, Mich. (+7)
8.) Columbus, Ohio (+3)
9.) Champaign, Ill. (+1)
10.) Milwaukee (+15)
11.) Baltimore (+5)
12.) Pittsburgh (+9)
13.) Cincinnati (-1)
14.) Denver (+1)
15.) New York (-13)
16.) Flint, Mich. (+7)
17.) Atlanta (-4)
18.) St. Louis (+1)
19.) Charleston, W. Va. (+7)
20.) Cedar Rapids, Iowa (+19)
21.) Davenport, Iowa (+8)
22.) Youngstown, Ohio (-2)
23.) Raleigh, N.C. (+1)
24.) Dallas (-2)
25.) Philadelphia (-22)
26.) Omaha, Neb. (+10)
27.) South Bend, Ind. (+10)
28.) Richmond, Va. (-11)
29.) Knoxville, Tenn. (+5)
30.) Greenville, S.C. (-3)
31.) Norfolk, Va. (-3)
32.) Charlotte, N.C. (-23)
33.) Peoria, Ill. (+18)
34.) Oklahoma City, Okla. (+14)
35.) Hartford, Conn. (+48)
36.) Toledo, Ohio (-4)
37.) Buffalo (+5)
38.) Fort Wayne, Ind. (+2)
39.) Seattle (+5)
40.) Minneapolis (+7)
41.) Miami (+1)
42.) San Francisco (-1)
43.) Dayton, Ohio (-10)
44.) Nashville (-14)
45.) Houston (-7)
46.) Las Vegas (-11)
47.) Boston (+10)
48.) Lansing, Mich. (+4)
49.) San Diego (+10)
50.) Syracuse, N.Y. (+8)
"Bed bugs are some of the most resilient pests in the world, making them extremely difficult to control if brought into a home or hotel," said Ben Hottel, Orkin entomologist. "As summer travel picks up, it is critical that people know the best ways to identify, prevent and control these pests."
Cities like Charlotte, Philadelphia and New York made significant improvements in their fight against bed bugs by taking preventative measures against this pest. These major changes in ranking prove the importance of inspecting beds and luggage for bed bugs during and after travel.
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