Chicago Named The 'Rat Capital' Of The U.S., Study Says
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A new study names Chicago the rat capital of the U.S.
According to a study by the apartment search service "Rent Hop," the city received 50,963 rat complaints last year – more than any other city in the country.
New York came in a distant second place, followed by Washington, D.C., and Boston.
The study also found the number of rat complaints jumped 55% since 2014.
Logan Square, Englewood, and West Ridge topped the list for most rat complaints called in to 3-1-1.
The study claims "when comparing the number of complaints per 100,000 residents, Chicago topped the list with 1876.09 complaints per 100,000 residents."
Most of the neighborhoods with a higher concentration of rat complaints coincide with the neighborhoods with a higher concentration of dog poop.
Neighborhoods in Downtown Chicago such as The Loop, Gold Coast, and River North have much fewer rat complaints than the other neighborhoods. Printers Row, Riverdale, and Oakland are the neighborhoods with the lowest volume of rat complaints.
Comparing 311 Rat Complaints in 2017 in Major Cities by Normalized Complaints
| City | Number of Complaints | Complaints Per 100,000 Residents |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago | 50,963 | 1876.09 |
| Washington DC | 5,036 | 725.68 |
| Boston | 2,488 | 363.16 |
| New York City | 19,152 | 222.11 |
Rat complaints in 2017 by cities sorted in descending order according to complaints per 100,000 residents.
To see the full study, click here.
