More Rats or Roaches in Washington DC Metro Area?

WASHINGTON, DC — The D.C. metro area may have one of the highest rates of mice and rats among the top metro areas in the country. But, the region falls in the middle of the pack on cockroach counts, according to new U.S. Census survey data.

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 have been 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.

In D.C., the reported number of rats and roaches is down compared to survey results in 2013. Thirteen percent of survey respondents reported rat or mice sightings in the past 12 months, compared to more than 16 percent two years ago. Roach sightings were down from 11 percent to just under 9 percent in the latest findings.

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 hand't seen one of these critters in their home.

At nearly 18 percent, Philadelphia had the highest rate of people who said they had seen at least evidence of either a rat or mouse. The roaches were much more pervasive. At 41 percent, New Orleans residents saw evidence of a roach at a higher rate than any other city available.

See the results across the top metro areas.

The Washington DC metro area includes communities in and around several Northern Virginia counties, including Fairfax, Arlington, Loudoun, Prince William, Stafford and Spotsylvania, among others. It also includes the Maryland counties closest to District, including Prince Georges and Montgomery, among others.

Includes reporting by Marc Torrence | Image via Shutterstock