Total number of rat complaints
Loser: DC

The study counted the number of rat complaints filed in 2017 and 2018 in five cities: DC, Baltimore, Chicago, Boston and New York. In 2018, DC had a whopping total of 5,715 complaints to Baltimore’s 4,476. Though both are certainly ratty, they’ve got nothing on Chicago–official rat capital of the US–which touts a staggering 40,057 complaints.

Rat complaints per square mile
Loser: DC

Controlling for the range of territory in each of the rat kingdoms, the study divided the total number of rat complaints by total square mileage to calculate each city’s relative rat density (ew). While Baltimore has a disturbing 48.5 rat complaints per square mile, Washingtonians are twice as likely to encounter a rogue rodent, coming in with 83.6 rats per square mile.