The 50 Most Bed Bug-Infested Cities in America

When traveling, beds are the last thing we want to think about. Yet here we are amid vacation season, and we can’t just ignore them! Why not? Because we don’t want to bring bedbugs home!

Whether you’re planning a vacation, a business trip, or visiting family, if you’re traveling, you need to know where bed bug hot zones are and, more importantly, how to avoid bringing them back to your old Kentucky home!

First, let’s look at the Top 50 Most Bed Bug-Infested Cities in the U.S., and those that don’t make the top 50, but are worthy of mention (this information is based on aggregated data from pest control companies across the nation, cross-referenced, and compiled to include the top-mentioned cities that ranked highest in bed bug treatments this past year. These metro areas are characterized by urban hubs with high travel and density, making them more susceptible to bed bug infestations. Then, let’s see what we can do to reduce our chances of bringing these critters back to our homes!

The Top 50 Most Bed Bug-Infested Cities in the U.S.A.

Cities are arranged in alphabetical order, not according to their severity of infestation:

1. Albuquerque, NM
2. Atlanta, GA
3. Baltimore, MD
4. Boston, MA
5. Buffalo, NY
6. Cedar Rapids, IA
7. Champaign, IL
8. Charlotte, NC
9. Chicago, IL
10. Cincinnati, OH
11. Cleveland, OH
12. Columbus, OH
13. Dallas, TX
14. Dayton, OH
15. Denver, CO
16. Des Moines, IA
17. Detroit, MI
18. Flint, MI
19. Grand Rapids, MI
20. Greensboro, NC
21. Greenville, SC
22. Hartford, CT
23. Houston, TX
24. Indianapolis, IN
25. Knoxville, TN
26. Las Vegas, NV
27. Lexington, KY
28. Los Angeles, CA
29. Louisville, KY
30. Milwaukee, WI
31. Minneapolis, MN
32. Nashville, TN
33. New York, NY
34. Norfolk, VA
35. Oklahoma City, OK
36. Omaha, NE
37. Peoria, IL
38. Philadelphia, PA
39. Phoenix, AZ
40. Pittsburgh, PA
41. Raleigh, NC
42. Richmond, VA
43. Salt Lake City, UT
44. San Diego, CA
45. San Francisco, CA
46. Seattle, WA
47. St. Louis, MO
48. Tampa, FL
49. Toledo, OH
50. Washington, D.C.

Cities worthy of mention also include (in alphabetical order):

1. Akron, OH
2. Canton, OH
3. Charleston, SC
4. Charleston, WV
5. Davenport, IA
6. Daytona, Fl
7. Denver, CO
8. Fort Worth, TX
9. Hagerstown, MD
10. Huntington, WV
11. Kansas City, KS
12. Kansas City, MO
13. Knoxville, TN
14. Lansing, MI
15. Little Rock, AR
16. Madison, WI
17. Manchester, NH
18. Melbourne, FL
19. Memphis, TN
20. Montgomery, AL
21. Oakland, CA
22. Orlando, FL
23. Paducah, KY
24. Petersburg, FL
25.  Raleigh, NC
26. San Jose, CA
27. Sarasota, FL
28. Tulsa, OK
29. Wichita, KS

Yes, Louisville, Lexington, and Paducah made the list, which means if you live in Kentucky, you don’t have to travel far to be in a bed bug hot spot and risk bringing them home! My family and I have stayed in around 30 of these cities (or just outside the city) and have practiced many of the following tips to prevent bringing bed bugs home.

Why Bed Bugs Are So Persistent?

Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are hematophagous ectoparasites, which means they feed on blood from the outside of the body. They’re most active at night, have flattened bodies that allow them to hide in the tiniest crevices (think mattress seams, luggage linings, even electrical outlets), and females can lay 1–5 eggs per day.

They’re tough. These bugs can survive for months without feeding, are becoming increasingly resistant to conventional insecticides, and don’t just live in beds. In fact, movie theaters, planes, buses, hospitals, office chairs, offices, and many other places can all become infested. They hitchhike on personal items, such as luggage, wallets, purses, coats, and similar objects. They can tolerate heat and cold well and have no preference for a clean or dirty home. They’re quite the adaptable pest and are well suited for living with humans.

How to Travel Smart & Stay Bed Bug-Free

If you’re traveling, especially to any city on the list above, here’s how to dramatically lower your risk of bringing home an unwanted six-legged souvenir that can multiply like a wet Gremlin:

Don’t Stay in Cities that Make the List

Consider staying on the outskirts of cities documented for their high ranking of bed bug infestations. If you want to play it even safer, stay in a smaller town outside the city. My family and I often try to stay within 15-30 minutes of the bigger cities to reduce our chances of taking bed bugs home. As a bonus, it’s quieter, a lot more laid back, and there’s much more room for parking!

Check Accommodation Reviews

• Doing your research before making accommodation reservations can save you the grief of bringing bed bugs home. Check reviews, pay attention to pricing (cheaper prices may indicate a higher risk), and trust your instincts; if something looks suspicious, avoid it. Scout lodging reviews for any mention of “bed bugs” or mattress inspections gone awry.

Learn What Bed Bugs Look Like

Many people confuse bed bugs with carpet beetle larvae, or they think flea bites are bed bug bites. Learning the difference between this perfect parasite and other pests that look similar or leave similar bite marks can help you avoid bed bugs when traveling.

Inspect Your Hotel Room First (or wherever you are spending the night)

If you travel a lot and don’t know how to spot the signs of a bed bug infestation, it’s a good time to learn. Before putting your suitcase on the bed, do a quick inspection:

• Pull back the sheets and check mattress seams, especially at the corners, for dark specks (fecal matter), exoskeletons, or live bugs.
• Inspect the seams of the headboard, baseboards, and nightstand.
• Use your phone’s flashlight—bed bugs hate the light and hide deep in cracks.
• If anything seems suspect, request a room change far from the infested one. Don’t stay adjacent to or above it.

If you don’t know where to look for bed bugs, your inspection won’t be very thorough!

Use Hard-Shell Luggage or Pack in Plastic

Soft luggage has more creases and hiding spots for bed bugs. It’s best to opt for less bed bug-friendly alternatives:

• Use hard-shell luggage instead of soft (Fewer cases for hiding).
• Use clear plastic bags for shoes or dirty laundry to isolate potential hitchhikers.
• Use Ziplock-style bags to store your clean garments inside the hard-shell luggage, or opt for only the Ziplock bags without using luggage at all.

Properly Store Your Luggage

• Always keep luggage on a rack, in the bathroom, or on a non-fabric surface—not on the bed or carpet.
• Take luggage back to the vehicle for the night.

As crazy as it might sound, leaving your luggage in the bathroom or taking it back out to the vehicle for overnight storage is best. That way, bed bugs have a limited time to access it, thereby reducing their chances of a free ride home… with YOU!

Post-Trip Protocol

• Unpack in the garage or laundry room. away from bedrooms.
• Hot-dry all clothing for at least 30 minutes at a temperature of over 113°F (~50°C) to kill any life stages (consult the manufacturer’s tag first). *Note: dry clothes after washing them.
• Vacuum suitcases thoroughly, emptying the canister outside, and immediately seal the vacuum contents.

Home Vigilance & Early Intervention

If you travel a lot, like I do, there are some very helpful prevention steps you can take that will reduce the chances of bed bug infestations in your home:

• Regularly inspect mattresses, box springs, baseboards, and the seams of furniture.
• At the first sign of exoskeletons, fecal marks, or live adults, contact Four Seasons Pest Solutions; do-it-yourself sprays are insufficient.
• Consider protective encasements for mattresses and box springs to contain any undetected survivors (Four Seasons offers the industry’s best encasements).

Once bed bugs have hitched a ride in your luggage, clothing, or personal belongings, they can infest your home before you ever know what’s happening. This leads to thousands of dollars in bed bug control fees, the potential loss of furniture, bedding, and personal items, sleepless nights, and a disruption of everyday life that can leave many people feeling miserable, embarrassed, and exhausted.

But with Four Seasons Pest Solutions on your side, not only will you have all the information you need to avoid taking these hitchhikers home, you’ll know more about which cities are infested the worst, so you can either avoid them or diligently search for the perfect, more high-end accommodations that might be less likely to keep bed bug infestation.

What if I Find Bed bugs After Travelling?

The simplest thing to do is to call Four Seasons Pest Solutions. We offer multiple plans to eliminate bed bugs. Some offer 30-day warranties, some offer 90-day warranties, and others offer up to lifetime warranties. You can’t go wrong with a company that will stand behind its work!

Hopefully, now that you know which cities to be on the lookout for and how best to avoid bringing bed bugs home, you’ll be able to travel safely, have a great time, and return to your pest-free home in old Kentucky!