Places in the US with the least mold?

It comes down to humidity and dewpoint levels. Most weather apps for phones have quite a few locations that you can set in addition to temperature they give humidity and some give dewpoints.

As far as mold being in any building or home in the dry Southwest, that sounds absolutely ridiculous Unless they are using swamp cooler technology instead of regular dry AC. Or if they’re running an actual humidifier in the building. Or making very warm moist meals such as boiling pasta every day without a vent fan on. And as far as a home having a leaky roof -again that can happen anywhere that it rains.

As far as mold spores outdoors, any place that has black dirt, Moisture and vegetation will have it. Black dirt is nothing more than sand with rotting vegetation.

Post Edited (astroman) : 8/11/2022 12:07:03 AM (GMT-7)

"Just need a tax friendly, no snow, not to hot state to live in. Lol that’s not too much to ask right!??? "

All three together year around? Yes, thats a lot to ask for. You need to be flexible. If it existed, it would be overly popular like Cal was one time.

You can fine tune and get close, but not all three. High deserts even get snow, but not for long. And tax friendly? They get your $ from income, land, or both. So depends if you work, own living space, rent or are "mobile"

This is why retired "snowbirds" and "van lifers chasing 70F" have a summer and winter state(s).

Well, Ive brain stormed this for quite a while myself for my future retirement years.. Unfortunately there is no easy answer. .....unless you move out of the country. So we need to see where we are willing to compromise.

Places with great weather cost a lot and vs versa.

And depends what your body can take. Eastern US is very humid, which I dont like. Some little less humid days in North Central but colder winter. And 100-115 in the desert is to hot.

Example: Compared to the NE US region or North Central US -Western SD (edit: S. Dakota) has less average humidity, but more heat (maybe five 100's days year), no income tax, but odd unpredictable snow falls / winter weather. And only one medium town near. Need to visit a big city? Then drive a few hrs to Denver (so limited consumer resources and jobs nearby in western SD).

At least in retirement you can choose when to drive- so snow is not as big of a deal vs if you drive to work 5 days. But boredom can set in.

I know a lot of N Easterners go to Atlanta- the elevation is less hot than the sounding SE. Still humid though - mold.

Post Edited (astroman) : 8/11/2022 2:28:15 PM (GMT-7)

I saw someone mentioned Atlanta. I would NOT recommend it. Too many people, too much building beyond what the existing (old) infrastructure of sewers, roads, etc can handle. And I don't recall the last time the mold count has been below "Extremely High" -- this is the pollen/mold site I frequent. https://www.atlantaallergy.com/pollen_counts/index/2022/08/01

Have you looked into places with higher elevation and cooler/drier climates? I'm thinking of Utah, Montana, etc.
Visiting those places has always made me feel better because of the cool and dry environment.

Western and central Montana is nice in the summer in the plains and mnts(!),...... but winter is a whole 'nother story. Its the real deal.

Its real cowboy country, wide open and unless your in Great Falls (valley / plains and 95F there today), you need a 4x4 with a tow rope to be prepared for winter driving. Or wait it out for a sunny melting day. On smaller roads plows might not come till the day after..or the next after that. Deep blowing snow and cold with low population. I love the great outdoors but consider Montana to have challenging living conditions.

Wyoming sounds only a little better.

or back to -
Black Hills mnt area of western S Dakota; its very cozy and like a "mini-Colorado" mnt area. The smaller towns around the bigger Rapid City are closer with two Walmarts, and winter is not as harsh as Montana, plus zero income tax. Semi- arid with pines in lower mnts /hills. Yes it gets to 100 about five days a summer, but with only mid-range humidity. Neither have big cities nearby. In January it can be -10 one day, then 40 the next. Like Denver, the snow can melt in the winter.

Note : Eastern SD sucks, its prairie like mid-Nebraska with Iowa high humidity, hotter yet and windy with very few trees, and boring.

Post Edited (astroman) : 8/12/2022 3:31:38 PM (GMT-7)

I agree with what someone wrote about the air conditioning harboring mold in the Southwest. Also as someone also mentioned air-tight buildings can prevent ventilation. I am a nurse and I tested a hospital in the southwest and found the aspergillus levels moderately high although no known leaks. Additionally, I saw visible mold underneath a sink at one hospital due to a leak but I was not at these locations very long because I am aware. I was a travel nurse before moving to AZ, and none of the hospitals in the midwest had mold issues indoors nor in Georgia. Weird to think such a dry place as Arizona has these issues. And I may move back to the midwest because hospitals are well maintained from my experience.
States that I have lived in and found to have low indoor mold levels due to good building structure:
Colorado, South Dakota/Black Hills mostly, and Certain areas of North Dakota, a friend has had good experiences in Utah.
I am considering looking into NM

Post Edited (rs1994) : 8/13/2022 9:05:33 PM (GMT-7)

Well I definitely learn something in this post!

I never would’ve figured you’d have mold in buildings in the southwest. But I didn’t think of the condensation and the temperature difference when incorporating air conditioning into a super hot building.

I would guess late 80s buildings are probably the worst that’s when they’re trying to make them super tight. Well at least that’s when they tried it in the Northland and they figured out that was a bad idea.

so they now use “make up air” , Negative pressure venting, in buildings which is now code. But that only works when you’re exhausting heat up a flu, or chimney from winter heating. That’s when old windows up here get a lot of inside condensation on them and mold is more possible.Air conditioning Is the opposite, as it creates a positive pressure area if you do not have a make up air vent.

Normal refrigerant air conditioning pulls moisture out of the air if It’s working correctly. A standard refrigerant consumer home AC unit that cools an “A” coil on top of a forced air furnace in the basement then distributing to metal air ducts, still does not create indoor mold in the north central US. But then we don’t have it on all summer either maybe two weeks at a time at the most continuous use.

Obviously swamp coolers would not do that as they make water vapor.

I have no idea if they have commercial building swamp coolers down there, if they do that’s crazy.

Post Edited (astroman) : 8/14/2022 12:02:56 PM (GMT-7)

Thank you Astroman; that information is helpful! I know a couple of people who have swamp coolers which definitely does breed mold.

Does anyone know much about Idaho at least the dry parts? I am looking into moving there also...CIRS is so annoying

Wow I didn’t realize that about Iowa! I think I read that mold likes 70 degrees Or warmer but not above 130.
I bought a dehumidifier when I lived in the Midwest and it worked great during summer. I was surprised how dry winters there get.

I know this thread is about places in the USA but does anyone have experience and thoughts about mold in Mexico high desert areas like Mexico City or San Miquel de Allende?