Where Are NYC's Insect and Vermin Complaints Concentrated?
Top ZIP codes for UNSANITARY CONDITION — PESTS complaints (January 2025 – June 2026 (18 months)). Distinct from the rat-complaint geographic ranking — this map is led by The Bronx, not Brooklyn.
Source: NYC 311 Open Data (erm2-nwe9). Pull date: 2026-06-25.
Which NYC ZIP codes have the most insect and vermin complaints?
Unlike rodent complaints — which concentrate in Brooklyn and East Harlem — insect and vermin complaints (UNSANITARY CONDITION — PESTS) are dominated by The Bronx, which holds 7 of the top 10 ZIP codes and 10 of the top 20. ZIP code 11226 (Flatbush, Brooklyn) leads the citywide ranking with 2,847 complaints, followed immediately by Bronx ZIPs: 10457 (Tremont), 10458 (Belmont / Fordham), and 10456 (Morrisania).
The Bronx's outsized representation reflects its large stock of older multi-family housing — pre-war apartment buildings with shared basements, interconnected utility chases, and aging plumbing — that provide persistent harborage for cockroaches and other vermin. Under the NYC Housing Maintenance Code (§27-2018), landlords are legally required to exterminate vermin and pests; complaints in this dataset reflect conditions referred to NYC Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) for enforcement.
| Rank | ZIP | Neighborhood | PESTS Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 11226 | Flatbush | 2,847 |
| #2 | 10457 | Tremont | 2,729 |
| #3 | 10458 | Belmont / Fordham | 2,704 |
| #4 | 10456 | Morrisania | 2,645 |
| #5 | 10452 | Highbridge | 2,494 |
| #6 | 10467 | Allerton | 2,424 |
| #7 | 10453 | Morris Heights | 2,416 |
| #8 | 10460 | East Tremont | 1,898 |
| #9 | 11207 | East New York | 1,819 |
| #10 | 11212 | Brownsville | 1,782 |
| #11 | 10468 | Fordham | 1,710 |
| #12 | 10459 | Longwood | 1,643 |
| #13 | 10031 | Hamilton Heights | 1,490 |
| #14 | 11213 | Crown Heights | 1,433 |
| #15 | 10032 | Washington Heights | 1,415 |
| #16 | 11233 | East New York (West) | 1,404 |
| #17 | 10451 | Mott Haven | 1,288 |
| #18 | 11225 | Prospect Lefferts Gardens | 1,283 |
| #19 | 11221 | Bushwick | 1,240 |
| #20 | 11208 | East New York | 1,191 |
Source: NYC 311 Open Data (erm2-nwe9), complaint_type='UNSANITARY CONDITION', descriptor='PESTS'. Pull date: 2026-06-25. Total measured citywide PESTS complaints: 92,958.
How does this differ from the rat complaint map?
The geographic distribution of insect/vermin complaints is markedly different from rodent complaints. Brooklyn leads rodent complaints; The Bronx leads insect/vermin complaints. ZIP 10035 (East Harlem) tops the rat index but does not appear in the top 20 for insect/vermin complaints. This divergence points to different underlying housing conditions and pest types in each borough. See the pest-type breakdown for the full category analysis.