Perry County, Arkansas · Perryville
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With 11% of homes built before 1960 and about 6 hard-freeze nights a year, frozen and split pipes are a leading winter risk in the county.
May brings the most downpours to Perry County, part of 17.2 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
11% of homes here predate 1960, when clay and cast iron sewer laterals were standard. Roots and cracks in those lines are a common cause of backups.
Perry County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 5.37 inches, and about 54 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
20% of occupied homes in Perry County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Arkansas county median of 10.9%.
About 99 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
About 10,101 people live in Perry County, 551 square miles in central Arkansas, in roughly 4,972 homes. The county seat is Perryville, and Bigelow, Perry and Houston round out the largest towns. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1989.
41/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Perry County ranks 60 of 75 Arkansas counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Perry County ranks highest compared with other Arkansas counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Perry County sits near the middle of the state. From 2015–2024 it averaged 6 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 56 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 37th of 75 counties.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 7 days below freezing (ending February 2021), and the low bottomed out near -3°F on February 16, 2021.
Most freezing nights fall from December to February, peaking in January. Disconnect garden hoses and shut off outdoor spigots before the first hard frost, and keep the heat at 55°F or higher if you'll be away.
Freezing nights typically start around Nov 10 and end around Mar 25.
Rainfall is about average for Arkansas. The county gets about 55 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 17.2 days of an inch or more (33rd of 75). Those downpours cluster in March, April and May, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 5.37 inches on December 28, 2015. The worst three-day stretch dropped 7.95 inches, ending February 23, 2018, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 54 times a year here. They're the main driver of ice dams and of water working its way through foundation cracks in late winter.
Housing
33% of homes in Perry County predate 1980, below the Arkansas county median of 46%, which ranks 68th of Arkansas's 75 counties.
Since 2000 the county has added enough housing that 32% of homes are that new. Modern PEX and copper rarely fail on their own; the leaks come from connections, appliances and storms.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 35% of the county's homes. If yours is from those decades, look under the sinks and at the water heater for gray plastic pipe stamped PB, which is polybutylene and leak-prone.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 24% of the housing here. Water lines in the underbelly depend on intact skirting and working heat tape, and they're usually the first to freeze in a cold snap.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 99 times a year here, close to the Arkansas county median of 105. Mold grows when indoor humidity stays above about 60%, the EPA's ceiling. A basement dehumidifier set to 50% and drying anything wet within 24 to 48 hours prevents most problems.
Mold remediation: what to expectMain heating fuel in Perry County's occupied homes: 8% utility gas, 71% electric, 16% propane and 4% wood. Wood and propane heat are more common here than in most Arkansas counties. Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires nationally, and the NFPA recommends having chimneys and vents inspected every year.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Perry County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Conway, Faulkner and Yell get more pipe-freeze nights than Perry. Pulaski County has the oldest housing nearby, with 49% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Perry | Arkansas median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 11% | 15% | 58 of 75 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 33% | 46% | 68 of 75 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 32% | 23% | 11 of 75 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 24% | 15% | 9 of 75 |
| Vacant homes | 18% | 18% | 40 of 75 |
| Wood or propane heat | 20% | 11% | 16 of 75 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 6/yr | 6/yr | 37 of 75 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 17/yr | 17/yr | 33 of 75 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 54/yr | 48/yr | 29 of 75 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 99/yr | 105/yr | 44 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 Perry 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