The Most Rat- And Roach-Infested Cities In California

It's perhaps one of the most upsetting sights a homeowner can see: a mouse, rat or cockroach darting from under a piece of furniture or kitchen cabinet, scurrying across the room and disappearing.

But where are they most often reported? Here in California, three cities make the top 20 list, with cockroaches being the biggest problem. Los Angeles-Long Beach comes in at No. 7 on the national list, followed by Riverside-San Bernardino at No. 11 and San Francisco down at No. 17.

On the list for rats, the three metro areas are bunched down lower. San Francisco again comes in at No. 17, followed by Riverside-San Bernardino at No. 19 and Los Angeles-Long Beach at No. 20.

Cockroaches are seen most frequently in New Orleans and Houston, while mice and rats are most often spotted in Philadelphia and Boston.

That's according to the American Housing Survey, a review conducted every two years by the U.S. Census Bureau that gives us the closest idea of just how pervasive these visits into our homes are.

The full data from 2015's survey isn't available yet, but statistics from 25 major metropolitan areas were just released. They include the 15 largest areas and 10 other metros.

Respondents were asked if they had seen evidence of a rat, mouse or cockroach in their home in the last 12 months or since they had moved in.

Like any survey, the data shouldn't be taken as any sort of empirical evidence. Rat or roach populations are difficult to estimate across a large area. These numbers show only how many respondents said they had or had not seen one of these critters in their home.

See the full data for rats and mice below:

See Also:

• Bed Bugs Sink Their Teeth into the West Coast

-Written by Marc Torrence and Bea Karnes, Patch; Image acquired by Marc Torrence