Detroit Ranks in the Top 10 on Orkin’s 2025 List of Cities With Worst Rodent Problems

Detroit sits at number seven among U.S. cities grappling with severe rodent infestations, according to the 2025 Orkin report that dropped this month. Flint landed at 42nd. Grand Rapids grabbed the 25th spot on this year's roster of America's rattiest metro areas., as per Click On Detroit

The Motor City has appeared on the pest control giant's rankings three years running now.

Old buildings and abundant food scraps in packed neighborhoods fuel the rat predicament, experts say. Cities face steep hurdles when these conditions collide.

Despite their tiny stature, rats spawn serious health threats and wreck property. Residents in all three Michigan municipalities on the ranking feel the impact.

City officials have intensified their pest-fighting campaigns to battle the invasion. They've rolled out awareness initiatives and coordinated block-by-block cleanups aimed at shrinking rat numbers.

Homeowners can pitch in by locking down garbage bins and plugging gaps around their houses. Authorities urge anyone who spots rats to call it in.

The struggle persists for Detroit and neighboring Michigan towns that made the list. Some headway has occurred, yet substantial work remains.

Los Angeles claimed the top spot on Orkin's 2025 rankings as the nation's worst rat-plagued metropolis. The assessment draws from treatment statistics in metro zones where the company handled the most rodent cases.

Rankings span service requests logged between Sept. 1, 2024, and Aug. 31, 2025. Orkin compiles its yearly tally using both home and business treatment records nationwide.

Chicago and New York consistently hover near the peak of these annual reports. Both have wrestled with rat swarms for generations.

Michigan's trio confronts obstacles parallel to other metros on the roster. Dense populations mixed with trash handling create perfect breeding grounds where rats flourish.

The 2025 findings reveal no uptick in Detroit's standing compared to prior years. The city has maintained its top-10 position for three consecutive cycles.

Health officers caution that rats transmit illness via their waste and urine. They chew through electrical wires and tear up insulation inside structures too.

Municipal strategies involve concentrated interventions in blocks reporting heavy complaints. Teams zero in on zones where citizens flag the most rat encounters.

Neighborhood associations have jumped into cleanup pushes across several districts. These collaborations pinpoint trouble spots and tackle the very conditions that lure rats in the first place.