Louisiana Lands One on ‘Most Rat-Infested Cities’ in America 2026
LOUISIANA - Now that we're well into October, we like to talk about scary and spooky things. Mostly, we're talking about Horror movies, local ghost sightings, haunted houses, Halloween candy, etc.
But those are all just make believe. Except for ghosts...ghosts are definately real.
Whether you believe in ghosts or not, one thing we can certainly agree on is that rats are real, and that rats are kind of creepy, or can be.
Terminix.com just released their list of "The 50 Most Rat-Infested Cities in America", and honestly, it's a little surprising for a couple of reasons.
One reason is, there's only one Louisiana city on the list. The second surprising reason is that it's not New Orleans. Obvisouly Terminix didn't include Nutria or all of
Acadiana would be their list.
What Are The Most Rat-Infested Cities For 2026?
In every city and town in America you're going to find rats and mice. Anywhere there's food and sanitation practices and services, you're going to find them. It's just the cost of doing business.
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Speaking of costs, rats and mice can not only be a creepy problem, but a costly one as well. They can cause major property damage as well as pose public health concerns.
How did Terminix compile their list of America's most rat infested cities?
According to terminix.com "We ranked the 50 cities with the most rats and mice in the U.S., based on where homeowners needed rodent services most often, according to our Rentokil-owned Terminix branch data from 2025."
As you can probably guess, most of if not all of America's biggest cities are on the list. Rats and mice go where the food is, and where people are, food is.
Here's the top 10 "Most Rat-Infested Cities" for 2026 -
1 - New York, NY
2 - Los Angeles, CA
3 - Philadelphia, PA
4 - San Francisco, CA
5 - Houston, TX
6 - Chicago, IL
7 - Washington, DC
8 - Boston, MA
9 - Dallas, TX
10 - Detroit, MI
The Most Rat-Infested City In Louisiana
Before I looked at Terminix's list to see what Louisiana city made it, my first thought was "Duh. It's going to be New Orleans". If that's what you were thinking, congratulations...you're wrong like me.
Then it's got be Baton Rouge, right?
Wrong.
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According to Terminix, Shreveport is the most rat infested city in Louisiana.
Why Does Shreveport Have So Many Rats?
Shreveport officially clocks in at number 47 out of 50 for America's most rat-infested citites.
The quiestion is, why?
According to anti-pest.com it's because "Shreveport experiences high rat and rodent activity due to a combination of extreme weather, aging infrastructure, and available food and shelter sources."
So, if you live in Shreveport and have always thought that there are a lot of rats running around, you're right.
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Gallery Credit: Michael Dot Scott