New York Falls to 15th on Orkin’s 2025 List of Worst U.S. Cities for Bed Bugs

New York City fell to 15th place on Orkin’s 2025 Top 50 Bed Bugs Cities list, a sharp drop from its No. 2 ranking a year earlier, the pest control company reported. The change reflects a decline in the number of bed bug infestations treated in homes and hotels across the five boroughs.

Orkin’s annual list ranks cities based on the number of bed bug treatments the company performed in residential and hospitality settings. For the fifth consecutive year, Chicago topped the list as the most bed bug–infested city in the nation. Cleveland, Detroit, Los Angeles and Indianapolis rounded out the top five.

“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, an Orkin entomologist. The insects do not transmit diseases to humans, but their bites, their ability to hide in tiny crevices and their resistance to some treatment methods make infestations costly and disruptive.

Orkin compiles its ranking from treatment data reported by franchise and corporate technicians. The company cautions that its list reflects its own service calls and may not capture all infestations in a given city, but it has been used by public health officials and the hospitality industry as an indicator of trends in bed bug activity.

Public health and pest experts say the pests spread primarily through travel and the movement of infested furniture or luggage. Inspecting sleeping areas when traveling, laundering potentially exposed clothing in hot water, vacuuming and reducing clutter can help lower the risk of introducing bed bugs into a home. Once an infestation is suspected, experts recommend contacting licensed pest control professionals rather than attempting do-it-yourself treatments that may be ineffective.

In addition to New York, other large metropolitan areas appeared on Orkin’s list, including Philadelphia and Charlotte. Local health departments typically encourage reporting of confirmed infestations in multiunit housing and hotels to help target interventions and reduce further spread.

Officials and property managers in affected cities often balance pest control with tenant protections and public information campaigns. Because bed bugs can move between units in apartment buildings, coordinated, professional treatment is usually required to resolve an infestation. Orkin and other pest-control companies have increased the use of integrated pest management strategies, which combine inspection, targeted chemical application, heat treatments and follow-up monitoring to improve outcomes.

The 2025 list highlights the persistence of bed bugs as an urban public-health and housing challenge even as some cities record declines in reported treatments. Orkin’s rankings will likely inform hotel operators, landlords and travelers as they take precautions during travel and within shared housing settings.