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Thumbtack releases list of ‘buggiest cities’

The services provider app bases its fifth annual list on pest control service requests throughout the U.S.

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By Heather Gooch
Published on
2026 Thumbtack chart of prices
Note that the figures above represent national average cost estimates using data provided by Thumbtack pros and additional research. These figures are provided for educational purposes only and are subject to change at any time due to various factors. IMAGE: THUMBTACK

Thumbtack, a home care app based in San Francisco, Calif., names the buggiest cities in the U.S. for 2026, based on data from millions of home projects from across all 50 states.

For the first time in the five years of this annual list, Washington, D.C., has claimed Thumbtack’s top spot as America’s Buggiest City, followed by Dallas and Austin, Texas; Baltimore, Md.; and Atlanta, Ga. In a news release, Thumbtack attributes the rise to the top by the nation’s capital is thanks to a “surge in mosquito control requests, three times the average rate of the nation’s 40 largest metro areas.”

Houston, Texas, a longtime Top 5 city in Thumbtack’s rankings, dropped to No. 7 — its lowest ranking yet.

Mosquitoes, ants and spiders can feel like an everyday nuisance during summer months. According to the findings, July and August are the buggiest months of the year, with Texan and Floridian cities hit the hardest — representing six of the Top 10 cities.

The Top 10 buggiest cities in the U.S. based on Thumbtack’s findings are:

  1. Washington, DC
  2. Dallas, Texas
  3. Austin, Texas
  4. Baltimore, Md.
  5. Atlanta, Ga.
  6. San Francisco, Calif.
  7. Houston, Texas
  8. Charlotte, N.C.
  9. West Palm Beach, Fla.
  10. Miami, Fla.

While Thumbtack’s overall rankings capture total pest activity, some cities have become hotspots for specific unwelcome visitors. For example:

Bed bugs

  1. Chicago, Ill.
  2. Charlotte, N.C.
  3. Philadelphia, Pa.

Mosquitoes

  1. Washington, D.C.
  2. Atlanta, Ga.
  3. Dallas, Texas

Termites

  1. San Francisco, Calif.
  2. Miami, Fla.
  3. San Diego, Calif.

Methodology

City rankings and national pricing estimates are based on consumer requests submitted on the Thumbtack platform between Aug. 1, 2025, and July 26, 2026, for the following insect-related services:

  • Bed Bug Extermination
  • Outdoor Mosquito Control Services
  • Outdoor Pesticide Application
  • Pest Control Services
  • Pest Inspection
  • Termite Control Services
  • Termite Inspection


Mosquito and termite services are newly included this year and were not part of the rankings in previous years.

Year-over-year growth compares this period to the equivalent period one year earlier (Aug. 1, 2024, and July 26, 2025). Rankings reflect the relative frequency of these requests, adjusted for the population of each metropolitan area. Pest-specific city rankings are based only on requests for services related to that particular bug.

Do you agree with these rankings of U.S. cities? Let us know in the comments.

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