NYC Rat Complaint Trends by Borough
NYC-wide rat pressure is falling: 311 rodent complaints dropped 21.2% citywide from 39,726 in 2024 to 31,312 in 2025, and Jan–Jun 2026 complaints are down a further 28.8% versus the same period last year (12,160 vs 17,082). Brooklyn still leads every borough in raw volume, but Manhattan is declining fastest.
Source: NYC 311 Open Data (erm2-nwe9). Pull date: 2026-07-04.
39,726
Citywide complaints, 2024
31,312
Citywide complaints, 2025
-21.2%
Full-year YoY change (2024→2025)
-28.8%
2026 YTD vs 2025 YTD (Jan–Jun)
Full-year rat complaint trend by borough (2024 vs 2025)
Every one of NYC's five boroughs saw rat complaints fall from 2024 to 2025. Brooklyn filed more rodent complaints than any other borough in both years — 15,099 in 2024 and 11,045 in 2025 — a decline of 26.8%. The steepest full-year percentage drop was in Brooklyn, down 26.8%, while Staten Island declined the least at 9.4%.
| Borough | 2024 | 2025 | YoY change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn | 15,099 | 11,045 | -26.8% |
| Manhattan | 10,203 | 8,631 | -15.4% |
| Queens | 7,213 | 5,401 | -25.1% |
| The Bronx | 5,963 | 5,105 | -14.4% |
| Staten Island | 1,247 | 1,130 | -9.4% |
Source: NYC 311 Open Data (erm2-nwe9), complaint_type='Rodent', full calendar years. Pull date: 2026-07-04.
2026 year-to-date vs the same period in 2025
Comparing the same Jan 1 – Jun 30 window across both years gives a fair read on where 2026 stands. Manhattan shows the steepest year-to-date decline at 40.9%, falling from 4,892 complaints (Jan–Jun 2025) to 2,890 (Jan–Jun 2026). Every borough is down year-to-date; none has reversed the citywide decline so far in 2026.
| Borough | Jan–Jun 2025 | Jan–Jun 2026 | YoY change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn | 5,968 | 4,473 | -25.1% |
| Manhattan | 4,892 | 2,890 | -40.9% |
| Queens | 2,932 | 2,375 | -19% |
| The Bronx | 2,700 | 1,928 | -28.6% |
| Staten Island | 590 | 494 | -16.3% |
Source: NYC 311 Open Data (erm2-nwe9), complaint_type='Rodent', Jan 1 – Jun 30 window each year. Pull date: 2026-07-04. See Methodology for how the Rat Pressure Score itself is separately calculated.
What's driving the citywide decline?
A falling 311 count doesn't prove fewer rats — it's a reporting-volume proxy, and this index treats it as one (see Methodology for the full limitations list). But the timing lines up with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH)'s expanded Rat Mitigation Zone program, concentrated in the highest-pressure ZIPs on the full leaderboard — East Harlem (ZIP 10035, Manhattan's top-ranked ZIP), Highbridge (10452, the Bronx) and Flatbush (11226, Brooklyn) among them. For practitioner context on why complaint volume also moves seasonally — and why proofing timing matters more than the raw count in any given month — Expert Exterminating's published guidance on fall rodent-proofing, written by licensed NYC exterminator Mike Jacoby, notes that indoor rat and mouse activity surges from September as outdoor food sources thin out and buildings become the best available shelter — a seasonal pattern that can push monthly 311 counts up independent of any longer-term year-over-year trend like the one on this page.
Frequently asked questions
Is rat pressure in NYC going up or down?
Citywide, it's going down. 311 rodent complaints fell 21.2% from 39,726 in 2024 to 31,312 in 2025, and the decline has continued into 2026 — Jan–Jun complaints are down 28.8% compared to the same period in 2025 (12,160 vs 17,082).
Which NYC borough has the most rat complaints?
Brooklyn has recorded the highest raw complaint volume of any borough in every period measured — full-year 2024, full-year 2025, and Jan–Jun 2026 year-to-date — per NYC 311 Open Data (dataset erm2-nwe9).
Which borough's rat complaints are falling fastest?
Manhattan shows the steepest year-over-year decline in the Jan–Jun comparison, down 40.9% from 4,892 complaints (Jan–Jun 2025) to 2,890 (Jan–Jun 2026).
Does a falling complaint count mean fewer rats?
Not necessarily. 311 complaint volume is a proxy for reporting behavior, not a direct infestation census — a decline can reflect fewer rats, less reporting, or both. See the Methodology page for the full list of limitations.