If you've ever been awoken by the pitter-patter of little feet above your bed—but you don't have kids, and it's not Christmas (those would be hooves anyway), you might be dealing with a rat infestation. Michigan winters drive these rodents into homes and businesses while rocketing one Mitten State county into Cinch's Top U.S. Counties With the Worst Rodent Problems.

RELATED: New Orkin Study Reveals 3 Most Rat Infested Cities In Michigan

If you're dealing with or have dealt with rat invasions, you're not alone. According to the U.S. Census American Housing Survey, 16.2 million homes report issues annually. That's 11.6 percent of America's households, or 38.5 million people (over 3 times the population of Michigan). 

How a Michigan County Ended Up As 1 of America's Most Rat Infested

Two rats explore the back of a couch. A heart shape also appears with MICHIGAN written within it.
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I was surprised to see the county in Michigan that made Cinch's top 10. You'd think Wayne, with nearly 2 million residents, would be it, but no. While population plays a part, it's not what fuels rat infestation.

Old homes are rat resorts and counties with aging infrastructure are practically rolling out the red carpet for them. Add overflowing garbage cans, urbanization, and climate, and you have the perfect recipe for a long-tailed rodent invasion.

The 20 Most Rat-Infest Counties in the U.S.

Two rats emerge from a hole in the sidewalk and look at a garbage bag and water bottle left on the ground. An outline of Michigan is seen in the lower left corner.
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So, where does Michigan stand in the Great American Rodent Rodeo? Do you live in one of America's most rat-infested counties?

RELATED: Urgent Warning For Michigan From Pittsburgh: SQUISH THIS BUG

Scroll on for Cinch's Top 20 U.S. Counties With the Worst Rodent Problem.

The 20 Most Rat-Infested Counties in America

To pinpoint the worst rodent-infested area, Cinch analyzed US Census data available in the American Housing Survey, looking at the percentage of homes reporting mice or rat sightings in the last year. They also estimated how many people live with these unwanted guests. See the link in the #1 entry for Cinch's entire methodology. Now let's countdown to the USA's most rodent-filled area, with Cinch's 20 Most Rat-Infested Counties in America.

Gallery Credit: Scott Clow

The 50 Most Rat Infested Cities in the USA

Each year, the pest control experts at Orkin tally up their residential and commercial calls for extermination or removal to determine which city in the US is crawling with the most rodents. For full methodology, see the link on #1 city in Orkin's Top 50 Rat-Infested Cities in the USA

Gallery Credit: Scott Clow

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