These Are the Cities With the Most Bed Bugs

The cities with the most cases of bed bugs in the United States are Chicago, Detroit and Columbus, Ohio, according to a recent promotional study released by the pest control company Orkin.

Orkin calculated the number of bed bug treatments it performed between January to December 2014, and ranked the cities based on how often they were called in. Having bed bugs doesn’t mean a living place is especially dirty, and any home or workplace is susceptible if bed bugs travel on clothing or in luggage.

Citing data maintained by the pest control industry, Orkin says Americans spent around $446 million getting rid of bed bugs in 2013. The bed bug business increased 18% last year, Orkin says.

Here’s the full list of cities ranked from most to least cases of bed bugs:

1. Chicago
2. Detroit
3. Columbus, Ohio
4. Los Angeles
5. Cleveland – Akron – Canton, Ohio
6. Dallas – Ft. Worth
7. Cincinnati
8. Denver
9. Richmond – Petersburg, Va.
10. Dayton, Ohio
11. Indianapolis
12. Houston
13. Seattle – Tacoma
14. Washington, District of Columbia – Hagerstown, Md.
15. Milwaukee
16. San Francisco – Oakland – San Jose
17. Raleigh – Durham – Fayetteville, N.C.
18. New York
19. Charleston – Huntington, W.Va.
20. Grand Rapids – Kalamazoo – Battle Creek, Mich.
21. Omaha, Neb.
22. Louisville, Ky.
23. Nashville, Tenn.
24. Lexington, Ky.
25. Atlanta
26. Buffalo, N.Y.
27. Sacramento – Stockton – Modesto, Calif.
28. Syracuse, N.Y.
29. Boston – Manchester
30. Charlotte, N.C.
31. Baltimore
32. Phoenix – Prescott
33. Miami – Ft. Lauderdale
34. Knoxville, Tenn.
35. Cedar Rapids – Waterloo – Dubuque, Iowa
36. Minneapolis – St. Paul
37. Hartford – New Haven, Conn.
38. Champaign – Springfield – Decatur, Ill.
39. San Diego
40. Lincoln – Hastings – Kearney, Neb.
41. Kansas City, Mo.
42. Honolulu
43. Albany – Schenectady – Troy, N.Y.
44. Colorado Springs – Pueblo, Colo.
45. Myrtle Beach – Florence, S.C.
46. St. Louis
47. Greenville – Spartanburg, S.C. – Asheville, N.C.
48. Bowling Green, Ky.
49. Ft. Wayne, Ind.
50. Toledo, Ohio

Get our Health Newsletter. Sign up to receive the latest health and science news, plus answers to wellness questions and expert tips.

Please enter a valid email address.

Sign Up Now

Check the box if you do not wish to receive promotional offers via email from TIME.

You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

Thank you!

For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder.

Contact us at editors@time.com.