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2026 most rat-infested cities: what Memphis and Jackson’s ranks mean for Oxford
Every fall a pest company publishes a list of the most rodent-infested cities, and every fall the headlines follow. This year Memphis and Jackson both made the national list. Here is what the numbers measure, what they do not, and what they mean for a house in Lafayette County.
- Memphis #24
- Jackson #36
- Service calls, not rat counts
- Roof rats matter here
Just want the numbers? See the regional table.
Start here
What do the 2026 rat city rankings mean for Oxford, Mississippi?
They mean north Mississippi sits inside a region where a lot of people call for rodent help, not that Oxford has been measured. Terminix’s 2026 list of the most rodent-infested cities, based on its 2025 service data, ranks Memphis #24, Nashville #25, Little Rock #26, Mobile #34, Jackson #36 and Birmingham #37 out of 50. New York is #1. Oxford is not on the list, and it would not be, because the lists rank large TV markets by how often residents used rodent control services. Memphis, about 85 miles away, has a long history on roof rat lists, ranking #1 in a 2016 Terminix roof rat list and #2 in 2019, as local TV news reported. Oxford’s wooded lots and tall trees suit the same roof rats. The useful move is to check your roofline and attic this fall, not to worry about a ranking.
The 2026 numbers
Where Memphis, Jackson and the region rank in 2026
Ranks from the Terminix list updated October 1, 2026 and Orkin’s 2025 release. Mileage from the University of Mississippi’s official mileage chart.
| Metro area | Terminix 2026 rank | Orkin 2025 rank | Miles from Oxford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis, TN | #24 | Not listed | 85 |
| Nashville, TN | #25 | #40 | 231 |
| Little Rock, AR | #26 | Not listed | 192 |
| Mobile, AL | #34 | Not listed | 311 |
| Jackson, MS | #36 | Not listed | 160 |
| Birmingham, AL | #37 | Not listed | 185 |
Terminix ranks 50 cities. New York is #1, followed by Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Houston. Atlanta is #12. Jackson is the only Mississippi city on the list.
Orkin publishes a separate list. Its most recent one, released October 28, 2025, put Los Angeles at #1, ending Chicago’s decade at the top. Nashville (#40) and New Orleans (#39) made it; Memphis, Jackson and Birmingham did not. Two lists, two different answers, which tells you something about how they are made.
How lists are made
How these rankings are made, honestly
Methods as each company states them.
What the lists measure
Terminix uses data from more than 300 of its branches and ranks cities where residents most often used its rodent control services in 2025. Orkin counts new rodent services in owner-occupied homes from August 20, 2024 to August 21, 2025. Both measure demand for one company’s service.
What they do not measure
Neither list counts rats. A city can rank high because the company has many branches and customers there, and low because people call a competitor. Terminix groups cities by TV market, so one entry can cover a metro and its suburbs.
That does not make the lists useless. A metro that keeps showing up year after year is a place where a lot of households pay for rodent help. It just means a ranking is a rough signal, not a census.
Memphis and roof rats
Memphis and its long roof rat history
Dates and ranks from the news reports and Terminix release listed below.
The bigger story for our part of the country is roof rats. In October 2016, Action News 5 reported that Terminix ranked Memphis #1 among the top 10 cities for roof rat infestations, and noted that Memphis suburbs saw a roof rat invasion in October 2015.
FOX13 Memphis reported Memphis as the second most roof rat infested city in November 2019, citing Terminix, and as the number 3 city in America for roof rats in October 2020. The 2020 story did not name the source of the ranking.
Why it matters here
Why a Memphis ranking matters in Oxford
Roof rat biology lives on our roof rats page; this is the short version.
Same kind of rat
Action News 5 reported that roof rats enter through holes, soffit vents, cables and roof vents, and are most active at night.
Wooded lots
If your house sits under tall trees, limbs over the roof give climbing rats an easy path to soffits and vents.
Fall is the season
Action News 5 reported that autumn is the most common season for roof rats, as their outdoor food supply drops.
Memphis is about 85 miles up the road. Rats do not commute from there, but the same climate, the same trees and the same species are here. A city ranking will never include a town of Oxford’s size, so the absence of Oxford on a list is not a clean bill of health.
What to do
What to do with this information
Ignore the headline. Check your own roof.
Trim the limbs
Cut back branches that touch or hang over the roof so rats cannot use them as a bridge.
Walk the roofline
Look for gaps at soffits, gable vents, roof returns and where cables enter the house.
Listen at night
Scratching overhead after dark is the classic roof rat sign. Our attic noises guide helps you tell what it is.
Seal with metal
Close gaps with metal, not foam. Rats chew through soft patches.
Hearing something up top? See our attic noises guide and our rat control page.
Rats overhead?
Want your roofline checked before winter?
Call or send the form. We find the entry points, seal them with metal, trap what is inside and confirm with a full quiet week. The price is in writing before any work starts.
Reading the next list
How to read the next rat city headline
Six questions to ask before you believe a ranking.
Rankings come out every fall, and they will come out again next year. They make good headlines and rough signals. They do not tell you whether your house has rats.
What tells you that is your own house: droppings, gnaw marks, grease marks along beams and pipes, and noise at night. Our identification guide helps you tell rats from mice and squirrels.
- Which company made the list?
- What did it count: calls, treatments or rats?
- What time period does it cover?
- Is it a city or a whole TV market?
- Is it all rodents or one species?
- Do the signs at your house match?
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Straight answers
Rat city ranking questions
What are the most rat-infested cities in 2026?
On Terminix’s 2026 list, based on 2025 service data, the top five are New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Houston. Memphis is #24 and Jackson, Mississippi is #36.
Is Oxford, MS on the list?
No. The lists rank large metro and TV markets, so a town Oxford’s size is not included either way.
Is Jackson the rattiest city in Mississippi?
Jackson is the only Mississippi city on Terminix’s 2026 list, at #36. That reflects rodent service demand in that market, not a count of rats.
Why do Terminix and Orkin rank cities so differently?
Each counts its own services, over its own time period. Orkin counts new rodent services in owner-occupied homes; Terminix counts where residents most often used its rodent services. Neither counts rats.
Was Memphis ever #1 for rats?
In 2016, Action News 5 reported that Terminix ranked Memphis #1 among cities for roof rat infestations. FOX13 Memphis reported Memphis at #2 for roof rats in 2019 and #3 in 2020.
Does a Memphis ranking mean rats are coming to Oxford?
Rats are not traveling from Memphis. But Oxford has the same climate, trees and roof rats, so the same fall checks make sense here.
What should I do if I hear rats in the attic?
Do not put loose poison in the attic. Have the roofline checked, seal entry points with metal and trap what is inside.
Keep reading
Related rodent help for Oxford homes
Sources
Last reviewed October 2026 by the Rodent Control Oxford team. Biology and control standards follow Mississippi State University Extension and the CDC. Price ranges are labeled benchmarks; your price comes in writing after we inspect.
- Terminix, Top Rodent-Infested Cities (updated October 1, 2026)
- Orkin 2025 Top 50 Rattiest Cities release (PR Newswire via Stock Titan, October 28, 2025)
- Action News 5, Memphis ranked #1 city for roof rats (October 26, 2016)
- FOX13 Memphis, Memphis named second most roof rat infested city (November 24, 2019)
- FOX13 Memphis, Memphis ranks number 3 in America for roof rats (October 14, 2020)
- University of Mississippi Procurement, Mileage From Oxford
Oxford & Lafayette County
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