Travel Warning: These U.S. Cities Have the Biggest Bed Bug Issues

I travel quite a bit, and over the years I’ve come across my share of questionable hotel rooms. Thankfully, I’ve never had to deal with bed bugs. These tiny pests come out at night to feed on the blood of sleeping people, and once they appear, they can be extremely difficult to eliminate.

Bed bugs are expert hitchhikers. They can slip into luggage, clothing, and bags and travel home with you without you realizing it. Below is the latest list of the 50 U.S. cities with the worst bed bug problems, along with what you should check in your room to help prevent bringing them home.

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Where to Check for Bed Bugs

• WebMD says adult bed bugs are flat and about the size of an apple seed. After feeding, they swell and turn reddish in color.
• Travelers are advised to check hotel beds carefully for warning signs before unpacking. Look for things like blood spots on the sheets, tiny pale-yellow eggs or eggshells, and small black droppings that look like pepper-like dots.
• Bed bugs don’t just hide in mattresses either. These pests can also be found in bed frames, upholstered chairs, couch seams between cushions, and even in curtain folds.

The 50 U.S. Cities With The Worst Bed Bug Problems

Take a look below to see the 50 U.S. cities currently dealing with the worst bed bug problems. If you’re planning to travel to any of these destinations, be sure to check your room as soon as you arrive.

#50 – Montgomery (Selma)

#49 – Palm Springs

#48 – Roanoke - Lynchburg

#47 – Salisbury

#46 – Champaign & Springfield-Decatur

#45 – Tyler - Longview

#44 – Omaha

#43 – Hartford & New Haven

#42 – Harrisburg - Lancaster - Lebanon - York

#41 – Shreveport

#40 – Toledo

#39 – Paducah - Cape Girardeau - Harrisburg

#38 – Birmingham

#37 – Miami - Ft. Lauderdale

#36 – Wichita - Hutchinson

#35 – Richmond - Petersburg

#34 – Fort Smith - Fayetteville - Springfield - Rogers

#33 – Sacramento - Stockton - Modesto

#32 – San Diego

#31 – Louisville

#30 – Orlando - Daytona Beach - Melbourne

#29 – Tulsa

#28 – Lexington

#27 – Charleston - Huntington

#26 – Tampa - St. Petersburg (Sarasota)

#25 – Kansas City

#24 – Little Rock - Pine Bluff

#23 – St. Louis

#22 – Nashville

#21 – Memphis

#20 – Baltimore

#19 – Oklahoma City

#18 – Boston (Manchester)

#17 – Detroit

#16 – Denver

#15 – Pittsburgh

#14 – Cincinnati

#13 – Chicago

#12 – Columbus

#11 – Dayton

#10 – Indianapolis

#9 – San Francisco - Oakland - San Jose

#8 – Washington, D.C. (Hagerstown)

#7 – Houston

#6 – Atlanta

#5 – Dallas - Ft. Worth

#4 – Los Angeles

#3 – Cleveland-Akron (Canton)

#2 – New York

#1 – Philadelphia

These rankings come from Terminix’s annual report and are based on the number of bed bug treatments performed in 2025. The report uses service data collected from more than 300 Terminix branches nationwide.

No Minnesota cities landed in the top 50 this year, however, eight Minnesota cities appeared on a similar list in 2024. You can see those below.