Study Reveals This Tampa Bay City Is the Most Itchy in the U.S.

SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida’s natural beauty is known for drawing people outdoors, but it’s often not without battling a few bugs — especially for one Tampa Bay city.

A study conducted by Ivarest, a company that sells itch cream, found that Sarasota is the itchiest city in America.

Researchers ranked 100 cities across the U.S. based on factors such as seasonal allergy scores, the number of pest control businesses listed on Yelp, search interest in bug spray, and state-level prevalence of poison ivy. Sarasota stood out particularly for its high pest control listings and bug spray queries.

This itchiness may largely stem from the nuisance that is the mosquito. In the survey involving over 1,000 Americans, most participants agreed that mosquito bites are their primary itch triggers.

In contrast, the city of Poughkeepsie, New York, was ranked as the second itchiest city, largely due to high search interest in poison ivy treatments. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, secured the third spot.

Notably, Sarasota wasn’t the only Florida city to land in the top 10; Orlando took the seventh position, primarily due to significant interest in bug spray.

According to the survey, at least 60% of respondents reported that nuisances like insects and pollen have spoiled outdoor activities such as gardening or barbecuing. In more extreme cases, 1 in 20 individuals stated they had thought about selling their home due to ongoing infestations.

For context, some of the least itchy cities identified in the study include Chicago, Illinois; New York, New York; El Paso, Texas; McAllen, Texas; and Oxnard, California.

To see the full rankings and learn more about the study, click here.

Article original publish date: 2025-07-30 21:34:00

Article source: www.wfla.com

Read the full story at the original source: www.wfla.com