Marion County, Arkansas · Yellville
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Marion County averages 17 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly December to February, and 13% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 13.1 times a year here, most often in May. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in Marion County spike on heavy-rain days, about 13.1 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 70 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
27% of occupied homes in Marion County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Arkansas county median of 10.9%.
About 68 nights a year here stay at 65°F or warmer, so basements and crawl spaces can grow mold even without a leak.
Local risk profile
With 9,749 homes and around 17,228 residents, Marion County is 597 square miles of northern Arkansas. Yellville is the county seat; Bull Shoals, Flippin and Summit are the next largest communities. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1986.
41/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Marion County ranks 59 of 75 Arkansas counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Marion County ranks highest compared with other Arkansas counties.
Marion County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Arkansas. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 17 nights a year at or below 20°F (2nd of 75) and 77 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 10 days below freezing (ending February 2021), and the low bottomed out near -8°F on February 16, 2021.
Expect the hardest freezes in January, inside a season that runs December to February. That's when an outdoor spigot left connected to a hose, or a pipe in a crawl space, is most likely to split.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 30 and end around Apr 2.
Marion gets fewer downpours than most Arkansas counties, but they still fill basements. The county gets about 50.8 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 13.1 days of an inch or more (74th of 75). Those downpours cluster in March, April and May, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 4.84 inches on December 28, 2015. The worst three-day stretch dropped 8.59 inches, ending November 5, 2024, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 70 days a year. Each cycle melts and refreezes water at roof edges and in foundation cracks, which is how ice dams and basement seepage get started.
Housing
41% of homes in Marion County predate 1980, below the Arkansas county median of 46%, which ranks 53rd of Arkansas's 75 counties.
Older and newer homes sit side by side here: 13% predate 1960 and 25% are from 2000 or later. Corroded pipe is the typical failure in the first group, burst supply hoses in the second.
34% date from 1980 to 1999, the window when polybutylene, a gray flexible plastic supply pipe, was used in some homes. It's prone to leaks at the fittings, so it's worth checking for in a house from those years.
17% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, close to the Arkansas county median of 15%. Their water lines run under the floor behind the skirting, so a torn skirt or failed heat tape freezes them faster than lines in a site-built house.
The Census counted 21% of homes as vacant, above the Arkansas county median of 18.1%. Empty houses are where a small leak turns into a large claim, because nobody is there to hear it.
Beyond water
Marion County averages 68 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in May. The EPA recommends keeping indoor humidity below 60%, ideally 30 to 50%. Basements can pass 60% on their own in summer, so a dehumidifier matters even without a leak, and anything wet should be dried within 24 to 48 hours.
Mold remediation: what to expectBy main heating fuel, Marion County homes break down as 11% utility gas, 59% electric, 16% propane and 12% wood. Wood and propane heat are above the Arkansas norm. Annual chimney and vent inspection, which the NFPA recommends, is one of the most effective fire-prevention habits for these homes.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Marion County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Marion gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. All of its neighbors see more heavy-rain days. Searcy County has the oldest housing nearby, with 44% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Marion | Arkansas median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 13% | 15% | 48 of 75 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 41% | 46% | 53 of 75 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 25% | 23% | 30 of 75 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 17% | 15% | 32 of 75 |
| Vacant homes | 21% | 18% | 26 of 75 |
| Wood or propane heat | 27% | 11% | 10 of 75 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 17/yr | 6/yr | 2 of 75 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 13/yr | 17/yr | 74 of 75 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 70/yr | 48/yr | 2 of 75 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 68/yr | 105/yr | 71 of 75 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Arkansas county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Marion County: freezing from December to February, heavy rain in March, April and May.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024); weather from NOAA nClimGrid-Daily county averages (EpiNOAA), 2015–2024, averaged across the county; county boundaries from Census TIGER. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Methodology