Philadelphia ranked among the top three cities in the United States with the biggest rat problems, according to a new ranking from a pest control company.
Earlier this month, Terminix, a pest control company with 300 branches nationwide, released a list of the top 50 cities with the most rats and mice, based on the company’s data on where homeowners needed rodent services most often in 2025. Philadelphia ranked third place, behind Los Angeles and New York.
Other cities that made the top 10 include San Francisco, Houston, Chicago, Washington, Boston, Dallas and Detroit.
According to the company, these cities have ideal conditions that attract these rodents, including large populations, plenty of food and many places to hide.
The findings came just over a week before Philadelphia Councilmember Anthony Phillips introduced legislation calling on health officials to take action on what he described as a “growing rodent infestation” in the Lower Northeast section of the city. The resolution also calls the rat problem in that section of the city an “urgent public health and quality-of-life emergency.”
“Rodent infestations create significant public health, safety, and financial concerns, as rats can contaminate food and living spaces, gnaw through building materials and electrical wiring, burrow beneath properties and outdoor spaces, and damage personal property,” the resolution says.
As part of its findings, Terminix shared the following tips to prevent rats in homes:
