Yeah, the latest update definitely tweaked the escape rate Paired with the fact that stops give fewer balls, this is a mess.
The good news is that I'm going back home to NY in a couple weeks and just found out there's a Charmander nest right next to my crib I'll finally get both Charmeleon and Charizard!
Its true that i caught most of the electric pokemons at my university. Voltorb, Magnemite, Meowth are always there. And because my university is next the sea i can catch an amount of water types too