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The U.S. has long suffered from an inadequate supply of housing. From a slow recovery in new construction after the Great Recession, to onerous zoning regulations and building codes, to the recent impacts of inflation on building materials, a lack of new supply has failed to keep up with the U.S.’s needs. As a result, the housing stock in the U.S. is facing a deficit of 3.8 million units.
A lack of new supply in turn means that more people in the U.S. are living in increasingly older homes. According to data from the National Association of Home Builders, just one in 10 U.S. homes have been built since 2010, and more than one-third of owner-occupied homes today are more than 50 years old.
Across the market, this trend has led to the steady aging of America’s housing stock. The median housing unit in the U.S. has grown in age over the last decade during the post-recession slowdown in new construction. In 2010, the median age of a home in the U.S. was 36 years. Within a decade, that figure had grown to 43 years.
While older homes have some advantages for buyers—like a lower price point or unique aesthetic charms—the main downside is that their condition deteriorates over time, requiring repairs to keep them in good living shape. This has been a challenge for homeowners in recent months with the U.S. economy still gripped by inflation. Increasing costs for labor and building materials have squeezed household budgets for home repairs, and many consumers feel that rising costs will continue.
Despite concerns among consumers about rising costs in the future, many homes in the United States require immediate maintenance or repairs. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau reveals that around 6.7 million homes, or 5.2% of all housing units, are classified as moderately or severely inadequate. Inadequate housing units are those that do not meet basic requirements for plumbing, heating, electricity, wiring, or upkeep. However, the percentage of homes classified as inadequate increases significantly with age. While only 1.3% of homes built between 2020 and 2021 are deemed inadequate, 9.0% of homes built before 1940 fall into this category.
Pest problems can be a major concern for households living in older or dilapidated homes. Damaged roofs, walls, windows, or foundations all substantially increase the likelihood that a household will encounter pests. Even just living near other structures in disrepair can make pest encounters more likely. People who live within half a block of an abandoned building are over three times more likely to have a pest problem.
Aside from home age or condition, however, geography has a lot to do with how likely it is for homeowners to encounter common pests. Household rat sightings are more frequent in older, denser cities like those in the Northeast, where food and shelter are easy for pests to find. The share of homes with signs of rats or mice in metros like Philadelphia and Boston is nearly twice as high as the national rate. Cities in the South have a heavy presence from pests like cockroaches, which thrive in warmer climates. Eight Southern cities have more than 20% of homes reporting issues with cockroaches.
Whether from rats, cockroaches, or both, some U.S. cities struggle more than others with household pests. To determine the locations with the biggest household pest problems, researchers at At Home Pros, who help homeowners find home service professionals across the U.S., analyzed the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The researchers ranked metros according to the share of homes with signs of mice, rats, or cockroaches in the past 12 months. In the event of a tie, the metro with more total homes with household pest problems was ranked higher.
Here are the U.S. metropolitan areas with the biggest household pest problems.
Large U.S. Metros With the Biggest Household Pest Problems
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15. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Share of homes with household pest problems: 19.5%
- Total homes with household pest problems: 568,599
- Share of homes with signs of mice or rats: 4.9%
- Share of homes with cockroaches: 16.7%
Photo Credit: f11photo / Shutterstock
14. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
- Share of homes with household pest problems: 19.9%
- Total homes with household pest problems: 482,384
- Share of homes with signs of mice or rats: 14.4%
- Share of homes with cockroaches: 9.1%
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13. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Share of homes with household pest problems: 20.0%
- Total homes with household pest problems: 1,623,003
- Share of homes with signs of mice or rats: 12.3%
- Share of homes with cockroaches: 12.8%
Photo Credit: f11photo / Shutterstock
12. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
- Share of homes with household pest problems: 20.3%
- Total homes with household pest problems: 406,075
- Share of homes with signs of mice or rats: 18.5%
- Share of homes with cockroaches: 3.1%
Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
11. Oklahoma City, OK
- Share of homes with household pest problems: 20.8%
- Total homes with household pest problems: 127,880
- Share of homes with signs of mice or rats: 14.6%
- Share of homes with cockroaches: 11.2%
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10. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
- Share of homes with household pest problems: 21.6%
- Total homes with household pest problems: 546,938
- Share of homes with signs of mice or rats: 18.5%
- Share of homes with cockroaches: 6.8%
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9. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL
- Share of homes with household pest problems: 22.4%
- Total homes with household pest problems: 579,297
- Share of homes with signs of mice or rats: 3.3%
- Share of homes with cockroaches: 21.7%
Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
8. Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Share of homes with household pest problems: 22.6%
- Total homes with household pest problems: 130,517
- Share of homes with signs of mice or rats: 9.9%
- Share of homes with cockroaches: 16.5%
Photo Credit: Henryk Sadura / Shutterstock
7. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
- Share of homes with household pest problems: 26.5%
- Total homes with household pest problems: 394,085
- Share of homes with signs of mice or rats: 2.4%
- Share of homes with cockroaches: 25.4%
Photo Credit: ESB Professional / Shutterstock
6. Raleigh-Cary, NC
- Share of homes with household pest problems: 27.0%
- Total homes with household pest problems: 151,707
- Share of homes with signs of mice or rats: 8.3%
- Share of homes with cockroaches: 22.4%
Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
5. New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Share of homes with household pest problems: 27.9%
- Total homes with household pest problems: 157,104
- Share of homes with signs of mice or rats: 5.2%
- Share of homes with cockroaches: 26.5%
Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
4. San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
- Share of homes with household pest problems: 28.5%
- Total homes with household pest problems: 294,618
- Share of homes with signs of mice or rats: 5.9%
- Share of homes with cockroaches: 26.3%
Photo Credit: ESB Professional / Shutterstock
3. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA
- Share of homes with household pest problems: 29.8%
- Total homes with household pest problems: 707,313
- Share of homes with signs of mice or rats: 4.3%
- Share of homes with cockroaches: 27.7%
Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
2. Birmingham-Hoover, AL
- Share of homes with household pest problems: 31.6%
- Total homes with household pest problems: 165,249
- Share of homes with signs of mice or rats: 13.6%
- Share of homes with cockroaches: 24.8%
Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
1. Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
- Share of homes with household pest problems: 36.5%
- Total homes with household pest problems: 988,085
- Share of homes with signs of mice or rats: 7.0%
- Share of homes with cockroaches: 34.6%
Detailed Findings & Methodology
To determine the locations with the biggest household pest problems, researchers at At Home Pros analyzed the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Housing Survey. The researchers ranked metros according to the share of homes with signs of mice, rats, or cockroaches in the past 12 months. In the event of a tie, the metro with more total homes with household pest problems was ranked higher. Researchers also calculated the share of homes with signs of mice or rats and the share of homes with cockroaches. Due to limited data availability, calculations for metropolitan areas used data from 2017–2021 to improve relevance.
