Cockroaches prefer warm and humid climates, which is why cities like Houston and San Antonio took the top two spots, the study said. Credit: Shutterstock / luis2499

Here’s something to make your skin crawl.

A new study has ranked San Antonio as the nation’s second-most cockroach infested metro area, right behind No. 1-ranked Houston.

An astonishing 28% of Alamo City households reported signs of cockroaches in the past 12 months, according to the study, released last week by online pest control marketplace Pest Gnome.

Pest Gnome ranked the nation’s 25 largest metros on their roach infestations using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Every city that made the top 10 is located in the Southern U.S., mainly because cockroaches prefer warmer climates, the study said. Tampa, Florida; Phoenix; and Las Vegas rounded out the list’s top five slots.

“A roach can’t survive temperatures below 45 degrees, but this temperature must be maintained for a while,” the study noted. “If temperatures fall (or rise) slowly, these critters can adapt.”

Indeed, the cities with the least amount of roaches — including Seattle, San Francisco and Rochester, New York — have colder temperatures and lower humidity, making them tough places for roaches to thrive.

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This article appears in Nov 1-14, 2023.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...