Where are bed bugs most common in the United States? Every year, Orkin answers that question with its Top 50 Bed Bug Cities List, ranking U.S. metros by treatment volume. The newly released 2026 list — covering treatments performed between May 2025 and May 2026 — confirms what pest control professionals already know: infestations are not slowing down, and two vacation hot spots, Tampa and Myrtle Beach, just cracked the list for the first time.
If you operate a hotel, apartment complex, senior living facility, shelter, or pest control company in any of these markets, this list isn’t just news — it’s your customer demand map.
How Orkin Ranks the Top Bed Bug Cities
Orkin compiles its annual Top 50 Bed Bug Cities List based on the number of bed bug treatments performed across U.S. metro areas, including both residential and commercial services. Because Orkin operates in nearly every major American city, the rankings serve as one of the most reliable national indicators of bed bug pressure.
The current 2026 list (released July 7, 2026) covers treatment data from May 12, 2025 through May 12, 2026.
The 2026 Top 10 Most Bed Bug Infested Cities
For the fifth year in a row, Chicago holds the #1 spot. Here’s the new top 10:
| Rank | City | Notable Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago, IL | 5th consecutive year at #1 |
| 2 | Los Angeles, CA | Up 2 — now a top-5 fixture |
| 3 | Detroit, MI | Steady top-5 presence |
| 4 | Cleveland, OH | Down 2 from last year |
| 5 | Indianapolis, IN | Holding in the top 5 |
| 6 | Springfield, IL | Up 3 — new to the top 10 |
| 7 | Washington, D.C. | Down 1, still a fixture |
| 8 | Columbus, OH | Ohio’s top-ranked city |
| 9 | Pittsburgh, PA | Up 3 |
| 10 | Grand Rapids, MI | Down 3, still top 10 |
| Rank | City | Change / Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago, IL | — |
| 2 | Los Angeles, CA | +2 |
| 3 | Detroit, MI | — |
| 4 | Cleveland, OH | -2 |
| 5 | Indianapolis, IN | — |
| 6 | Springfield, IL | +3 |
| 7 | Washington, D.C. | -1 |
| 8 | Columbus, OH | — |
| 9 | Pittsburgh, PA | +3 |
| 10 | Grand Rapids, MI | -3 |
| 11 | Denver, CO | +3 |
| 12 | New York, NY | +3 |
| 13 | Milwaukee, WI | -3 |
| 14 | Baltimore, MD | -3 |
| 15 | Cincinnati, OH | -2 |
| 16 | Raleigh, NC | +7 |
| 17 | St. Louis, MO | +1 |
| 18 | Charleston, WV | +1 |
| 19 | Davenport, IA | +2 |
| 20 | Flint, MI | -4 |
| 21 | Atlanta, GA | -4 |
| 22 | Philadelphia, PA | +3 |
| 23 | Dallas, TX | +1 |
| 24 | Oklahoma City, OK | +10 |
| 25 | Cedar Rapids, IA | -5 |
| 26 | Hartford, CT | +9 |
| 27 | Charlotte, NC | +5 |
| 28 | Peoria, IL | +5 |
| 29 | South Bend, IN | -2 |
| 30 | Seattle, WA | +9 |
| 31 | Richmond, VA | -3 |
| 32 | Youngstown, OH | -10 |
| 33 | Greenville, SC | -3 |
| 34 | Nashville, TN | +10 |
| 35 | Buffalo, NY | +2 |
| 36 | Omaha, NE | -10 |
| 37 | San Francisco, CA | +5 |
| 38 | Dayton, OH | +5 |
| 39 | Norfolk, VA | -8 |
| 40 | Knoxville, TN | -11 |
| 41 | San Diego, CA | +8 |
| 42 | Toledo, OH | -6 |
| 43 | Las Vegas, NV | +3 |
| 44 | Syracuse, NY | +6 |
| 45 | Fort Wayne, IN | -7 |
| 46 | Tampa, FL | NEW |
| 47 | Miami, FL | -6 |
| 48 | Minneapolis, MN | -8 |
| 49 | Kansas City, MO | NEW |
| 50 | Myrtle Beach, SC | NEW |
Biggest Movers on the 2026 List
Nashville, TN and Oklahoma City, OK — Each climbed 10 spots this year, among the sharpest rises on the list. Tampa, FL and Myrtle Beach, SC — New to the top 50 for 2026, both high-growth vacation destinations. Kansas City, MO — Also new to the top 50 this year. Youngstown, OH (-10), Omaha, NE (-10), and Knoxville, TN (-11) — Recorded the largest declines on the list. Ohio — Remains the most represented state, with six cities in the Top 50 (Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Youngstown, Toledo, Dayton).
Why These Cities Rank So High
Bed bug infestations follow predictable patterns. The cities at the top of Orkin’s list share several common factors:
1. Dense Multi-Family Housing
Apartment buildings, condos, and senior living complexes share walls, HVAC systems, and electrical conduits — all bed bug highways. Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia are full of older multi-family stock where infestations spread between units before tenants even notice.
2. High Tourism and Business Travel
Hotels are bed bug ground zero. Cities like Las Vegas, Nashville, Miami, Boston, and Washington D.C. see massive travel volume, and a single infested room can spread bugs to dozens of properties over a few weeks.
3. Older Building Stock
Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and Baltimore have huge inventories of pre-1970s housing. Older buildings have more cracks, more wood substrates, and more places for bed bugs to hide — making conventional chemical treatment far less effective.
4. Institutional Settings
Shelters, group homes, dormitories, and correctional facilities concentrate bed bug activity. Cities with major institutional populations consistently rank higher.
5. Climate Misconception
Despite rumors that bed bugs prefer cold climates, they thrive anywhere people live. Los Angeles, Miami, Houston, and Las Vegas prove warm-weather metros are just as vulnerable — climate is not a barrier to infestation.
Why Chemical Treatments Often Fail
Most pest control companies in these top-ranked cities still rely on chemical sprays as their first line of defense. The problem? Bed bugs have developed widespread pesticide resistance, particularly to pyrethroids — the most common chemical class used against them.
According to Dr. Ben Hottel, BCE, technical services manager at Rollins (Orkin’s parent company), one of the biggest challenges with bed bugs is their growing resistance to certain treatments, which is why early detection and proactive prevention matter so much.
This is why electric heat treatment has become the gold standard for both residential and commercial bed bug elimination — it kills every life stage (eggs, nymphs, adults) in a single treatment, with no resistance possible because heat is a physical kill, not a chemical one.
How Heat Treatment Solves the Bed Bug Problem
PestPro heaters bring rooms to sustained temperatures of 130–140°F — well above the 122°F threshold where bed bugs and their eggs die — eliminating every life stage in a single treatment. One treatment. No chemicals. No resistance. No callbacks.
- Pest control companies servicing residential and commercial accounts
- Hotels that need rooms back in service the same day
- Senior living and assisted living facilities where chemicals aren’t an option
- Apartment complexes dealing with cross-unit infestations
- Property management companies needing scalable in-house treatment capability
- Shelters and group homes with constant turnover
PestPro heaters bring rooms to lethal temperatures (above 120°F) for sustained periods that kill bed bugs at every life stage. One treatment. No chemicals. No resistance. No callbacks.
How Travelers Can Avoid Bringing Bed Bugs Home
If you’re traveling to any city on the 2026 list, Orkin recommends the S.L.E.E.P. acronym:
- Search the room for signs of infestation — small flat brown insects (apple-seed sized), ink-like stains on fabric, shed exoskeletons, or a sweet musty smell.
- Lift sheets, curtains, and cushions to inspect underneath.
- Elevate luggage onto racks — never on the bed or floor.
- Examine your luggage carefully when repacking and again at home.
- Place dryer-safe clothing in the dryer for 30–45 minutes at the highest heat setting after returning home.
What to Do If You Already Have Bed Bugs
Speed matters. Bed bug populations double approximately every 16 days under ideal conditions, and female bed bugs lay 200–500 eggs in their lifetime.
- Confirm the infestation. Look for live bugs, bites in linear patterns, ink-like stains on bedding, or shed exoskeletons.
- Don’t try to spray your way out. Over-the-counter pesticides almost never work against modern resistant populations and can scatter bed bugs to other rooms.
- Reduce clutter. Remove hiding spots without moving infested items between rooms.
- Hire a professional with heat capability. Look for a pest control company that uses electric whole-room heat treatment — it’s the only single-treatment solution that kills every life stage.
- For commercial properties: Consider in-house heat treatment equipment. Outsourced bed bug treatments in hotels, senior living, and apartments add up fast — owning your own heaters typically pays for itself within months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What city has the worst bed bug problem in 2026? A: Chicago ranks #1 on Orkin’s 2026 Top 50 Bed Bug Cities List for the fifth consecutive year, based on bed bug treatments performed between May 2024 and May 2025.
Q: Are bed bugs worse in winter or summer? A: Bed bugs are active year-round indoors, but treatments tend to spike in summer when travel volume peaks. Climate doesn’t significantly affect bed bug populations because they live in heated buildings.
Q: Which state has the most bed bug cities on the 2026 Orkin list? A: Ohio leads with multiple cities in the Top 50 — including Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Youngstown, Toledo, and Dayton. Michigan is close behind with Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Flint all making the list.
Q: Why is Chicago always #1 for bed bugs? A: Chicago combines extreme population density, massive multi-family housing stock, heavy domestic and international travel, and a high concentration of hotels — all factors that drive bed bug treatment volume.
Q: Does heat treatment really kill bed bugs in one visit? A: Yes. Bed bugs and their eggs die at 122°F, and PestPro’s electric heat treatment brings entire rooms to a sustained 130–140°F, eliminating bed bugs in every life stage in a single treatment.
Q: How can hotels and apartments protect themselves from bed bug outbreaks? A: The most effective long-term strategy is owning in-house heat treatment equipment. Outsourced treatments in commercial settings get expensive quickly, and downtime costs add up. Commercial bed bug heaters from PestPro are designed specifically for this use case.
The Bottom Line
The 2026 Orkin Top 50 Bed Bug Cities List confirms what pest control professionals across the country are already seeing: bed bug infestations are widespread, persistent, and resistant to chemical-only approaches. Whether you’re managing a hotel in Chicago, a senior living facility in Cleveland, or running a pest control company in Detroit, the data is clear — chemical-only treatment isn’t keeping up, and electric heat treatment has become the standard for facilities that need bed bugs gone the first time.
If your business operates in any of the 50 cities above — or anywhere bed bugs are a recurring headache — talk to us about adding heat treatment capability to your operation.