The bullseye mark only occurs in 70% or so cases. And if you have been bitten in the arm pit or your but crack, you might even miss the telltale rash entirely.
Also two weeks of doxycycline (or any antibiotic for that matter) isn’t fun.
I know there's thousands where I live in Louisiana, as well. "Developed" doesn't matter, just a place where squirrels or whatever are is enough to have ticks too.
I've never had a tick attach to me, but I have squished them climbing up my pants after coming inside, and obviously dogs collect them like pokemon.
In the tick seasons, I have ticks on me a few times per week. I usually feel them before they bite, though.
I catch a lot of them before they get that high, but some slip through.
My dogs get a ton. When they have the oil insecticide, they'll die while still on the dog. They do get a lot fewer with treatment.
Quite many people, especially one's who have dogs regularly get outside the city and interact with forests one way or another.
That being said, it is possible to get bitten by a tick even in a city, pretty much anywhere in Europe, no idea how it is in US.
This kind of blows my mind. Presumably you don't spend a great deal of time off pavement?
Dog-owners do report the same problem, at least if the animal is allowed close contact with humans for more than a few seconds apiece.
It is not uncommon to find multiple ticks on your clothes if you have been walking in tall grass. But they usually take quite a while before they find a spot to bite. So if you take some precautions it is not a big problem.