NYC’s War on Rats: Introducing the City’s $155,000 Rat Czar

What city in the U.S. has the most rats? The answer is New York. The situation has become so severe that the city appointed a rat czar with an annual salary of $155 to tackle the problem.

According to a report from the New York Post, pest control firm Terminix analyzed data from 300 locations nationwide collected over the past year. Their findings revealed that New York City leads the nation in the number of rat-related service calls.

The city’s struggle with its rodent population is longstanding, but recent estimates suggest the number of rats has ballooned to around three million, inhabiting approximately 90% of the city’s area. The rat population surge has intensified since the COVID-19 pandemic, with some estimates claiming there are now more rats than people in New York.

In response to the escalating problem, Mayor Eric Adams appointed a rat czar last year. Officially titled the director of rodent mitigation, this position specifically focuses on reducing the city’s rat numbers. The role comes with a reported salary of $155,000.

Since the appointment, New York City has implemented aggressive rat eradication strategies. These measures include delaying garbage collection from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., deploying numerous rat traps throughout the city, and injecting carbon monoxide into rat burrows to suffocate the pests.

On the 18th, Adams convened an Urban Rat Summit, declaring war on rats and reaffirming his commitment to enhancing the quality of life for city residents. 

Meanwhile, San Francisco ranked second with the most rats, followed by Los Angeles and Philadelphia. The nation’s capital, Washington D.C., came in fifth. Other major U.S. cities made the top ten, including Chicago (6th), Houston (7th), Boston (8th), Dallas-Fort Worth (9th), and Atlanta (10th).