[Objectives]  To investigate cockroach community structure in the Wuhan area, including long-term changes in the abundance of different species and successional characteristics, in order to improve the control of urban cockroaches. [Methods]  We used fresh bread crumbs as bait and sticky paper to trap and investigate the diversity of the cockroach community in six typical habitats, including residential areas, restaurants, hotels, farmers’ markets, hospitals and supermarkets in the Wuhan area from 1995 to 2019. [Results]  A total of 41 257 cockroaches were captured, which were classified into 1 family, 2 genera and 4 species. Blattella germanica and Periplaneta fuliginosa were the dominant species, with relative abundances of 77.99% and 15.36%, respectively. Periplaneta americana was a common species with a relative abundances of 6.64%, whereas Periplaneta australasiae was a rare species with a relative abundance of just 0.01%. Consistent with the annual trend in overall cockroach density, annual variation in B. germanica density first increased, then decreased. Annual variation in the density of P. fuliginosa and P. americana trended downwards. Cockroaches can be captured throughout the year in the Wuhan area but there is a single peak in abundance September. There were significant differences in cockroach density between different habitats (F=9.048, P<0.01). The highest density (1.65 per trap) was in farmers’ markets where the annual population trend was upward, whereas the lowest density (0.11 per trap) was in hospitals where populations tended to be stable. The density of cockroaches in residential areas slowly decreased over time, and that in restaurants and hotels first increased, then decreased. Cockroach communities in different years can be divided into four groups by systematic clustering and a non-metric multidimensional scale ranking analysis. [Conclusion]  Cockroach community structure in the Wuhan area has undergone significant changes. The dominant species have gradually changed from P. fuliginosa and P. americana to B. germanica. There were obvious annual changes in the population density of different species in different habitats. It is necessary to focus the prevention and control of cockroaches in key places such as farmers’ markets, restaurants, hotels, and supermarkets. There is a particular need for vigilance in farmer’s markets to prevent cockroaches reaching high densities.