Unwanted Travelers: Chicago Holds #1 Spot on Orkin’s 2026 Worst Cities for Bed Bugs List

As peak summer travel season ramps into high gear, pest control giant Orkin released its annual Top 50 Bed Bug Cities List. For the sixth consecutive year, Chicago earned the unfortunate title of the absolute worst city in the United States for bed bug infestations.

The 2026 rankings, which track both residential and commercial treatments performed between May 12, 2025, and May 12, 2026, show a significant surge in tourist hotspots and a heavy concentration of infestations lingering across the American Midwest.

The 2026 Top 10 Bed Bug Hotspots

While Chicago stubbornly defended its number one crown, other major transit and population hubs shifted slightly across the top ten:

1. Chicago, IL (Holding #1 for the 6th straight year)
2. Los Angeles, CA (+2 spots)
3. Detroit, MI
4. Cleveland, Ohio (-2 spots)
5. Indianapolis, IN
6. Springfield, Ill. (+3 spots)
7. Washington, D.C. (-1 spot)
8. Columbus, Ohio
9. Pittsburgh, PA (+3 spots)
10. Grand Rapids, Mich. (-3 spots)

Ohio stood out as the most heavily infested state in the country, placing a total of six metro areas inside the Top 50 (including Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Youngstown, Dayton, and Toledo). Meanwhile, vacation destinations Tampa, Florida, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Kansas City, Missouri all made their debut appearances as new entries to the Top 50 list this year.

The Biggest Shifters of the Year

The data revealed volatile swings across several regions, demonstrating how quickly bed bugs can spread through high-turnover housing and travel corridors:

• The Climbers: Nashville, Tennessee and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma saw the most aggressive jumps on the chart, with both cities leaping a massive 10 spots upward into the ranks. Hartford, Connecticut also experienced a major spike, climbing 9 spots to land at #26.
• The Decliners: Conversely, Youngstown, Ohio, Omaha, Nebraska, and Knoxville, Tennessee pulled off the largest improvements, all seeing their treatment numbers drop substantially to fall down the list.

Protecting Your Luggage: The S.L.E.E.P. Rule

Because bed bugs are masterful hitchhikers that easily move via hotel mattresses, airplanes, and public seating, Orkin urges summer travelers to practice the S.L.E.E.P. inspection method every time they check into a new room:

1.Survey the environment :Look for signs.

Inspect the entire room for signs of an infestation. Look for tiny, rust-colored spots on mattress seams, fabric headboards, and upholstered furniture.

2.Lift and look :Check the hiding spots.

Lift the mattress, box spring, and sheets. Bed bugs love to hide in dark corners, crevices, and right behind the headboard against the wall.

3.Elevate your belongings :Keep luggage off the floor.

Elevate your luggage and bags on a metal luggage rack or place them in the bathroom inside the dry bathtub. Never leave your suitcase open on the bed or carpeted floor.

4.Examine your luggage :Check before heading home.

Carefully examine your bags during repacking and before bringing them back inside your home.

5.Place clothes in the dryer :The ultimate heat purge.

The moment you return home, throw all your vacation clothes directly into the dryer on high heat for at least 15 to 20 minutes. High thermal temperatures are the most effective way to instantly kill bed bugs and their microscopic eggs.