North Dakota Ranks Top 10 for Housing Issues

If you’ve ever stood in your North Dakota basement staring at a suspicious water stain and thought, “That’s probably fine,” you’re definitely not alone. According to a new study, North Dakota has officially landed in the eighth spot nationally for housing problems, which means we’re not the worst, but we’re also not exactly winning any homeownership trophies either.

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North Dakota Homeowners Are Asking Google Some Very Nervous Questions

The study, conducted by the home warranty experts at Cinch Home Services, found that North Dakota averages 179.44 housing-related searches per 100,000 residents each month. That’s based on data from Google Keyword Planner and a population of 783,926. In other words, quite a few North Dakotans are quietly asking the internet questions like, “Is this mold?” and “Why is my ceiling doing that?”

Read More: Financial Stress Grows As Collection Accounts Rise In North Dakota

Water and Mold Lead North Dakota’s Home Worries

The most commonly searched housing issues in the Peace Garden State are water damage and mold. Water damage alone accounts for 51.13 searches per 100,000 residents, while mold follows closely behind at 44.43 searches. Considering our long winters, rapid spring thaws, and the occasional surprise summer downpour, this isn't really that shocking. When snow melts faster than expected, basements tend to become indoor swimming pools, minus the fun part.

To determine the rankings, researchers analyzed search volumes for 300 keywords across eight different housing issue categories. The idea was simple: the more people searching for help, the more widespread the problem likely is. And while North Dakota cracked the top ten, we still have plenty of company.

Our neighbors to the south didn’t fare quite as well. South Dakota ranks first in the nation, with a whopping 330.86 searches per 100,000 residents each month. Their biggest headaches? Water damage at 217 searches per 100,000, followed by mold at 40 searches. Apparently, the Dakotas are united by leaky basements and dehumidifiers running year-round.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is Alabama, which reports the fewest housing issues in the country, with just 95.64 monthly searches per 100,000 residents. Either everything there is perfectly fine, or people have simply accepted their fate and stopped Googling.

Of course, owning or renting a home comes with challenges no matter where you live. Pipes freeze, roofs leak, and something always breaks at the worst possible time — usually on a holiday weekend. So while North Dakota’s eighth-place ranking might sting a little, it also confirms what many homeowners already know: life on the prairie builds character, and occasionally requires a really good sump pump!