America’s 10 Most Pest-Infested Cities

February 4, 2017 by Paul Ausick

There is no such thing as a single cockroach. If you spot one, its friends and family are not far away and will soon be paying you a visit. Bedbugs and fleas are included in that same category: if you’ve seen one, you’ve not seen ’em all.

The U.S. Census Bureau recently released its latest American Housing Survey, and researchers at Realtor.com took a look at the percentage of U.S. households reporting close encounters with a variety of pests.

In addition to roaches, bedbugs and fleas, the Census Bureau also collected data on rats, mosquitoes, termites and scorpions (scorpions!). According to the survey, 11% of U.S. households in 2015 had encounters with mice or rats and 12% encountered roaches. Complaints about rats rose 7% in New York and 16% in Boston.

And don’t even ask about bedbugs. According to one expert, more U.S. citizens are affected by bedbugs than ever before. He noted that 10 years ago bedbugs were virtually unheard of in this country.

Armed with a sufficient supply of repellent and pages of data, Realtor.com researchers identified the 10 U.S. cities with the worst pest infestations. Of the 10, six are located in the South or Southwest where warmer temperatures allow the creepy-crawlies to live longer. We’ve included the percentage of households in each city that reported mice/rats and cockroach sightings. For details and anecdotes, visit Realtor.com.

  1. Houston, Texas: 8% reported mice or rats and 38% reported cockroaches
  2. New York City: 15% reported mice or rats and 16% reported cockroaches
  3. Washington, D.C.: 13% reported mice or rats and 9% reported cockroaches
  4. Atlanta, Georgia: 5% reported mice or rats and 25% reported cockroaches
  5. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: 18% reported mice or rats and 7% reported cockroaches
  6. Miami, Florida: 4% reported mice or rats and 32% reported cockroaches
  7. Tampa, Florida: 3% reported mice or rats and 38% reported cockroaches
  8. Nashville, Tennessee: 11% reported mice or rats and 9% reported cockroaches
  9. Phoenix, Arizona: 3% reported mice or rats and 20% reported cockroaches
  10. Boston, Massachusetts: 17% reported mice or rats and 2% reported cockroaches

Sponsored: Find a Qualified Financial Advisor

Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to 3 fiduciary financial advisors in your area in 5 minutes. Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. If you’re ready to be matched with local advisors that can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.

Posted in Housing | Comments Off on America’s 10 Most Pest-Infested Cities