Baldwin County, Georgia · Milledgeville
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Pipes freeze in Baldwin County on about 2 nights a year, mostly January. Older homes, 11% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Basements flood here mostly in December. Baldwin County averages 10.8 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Sewage backups in Baldwin County spike on heavy-rain days, about 10.8 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Baldwin County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 6.44 inches, and about 31 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
10% of occupied homes in Baldwin County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Georgia county median of 7.1%.
With 112 muggy nights a year, mold in Baldwin County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
With 20,302 homes and around 43,642 residents, Baldwin County is 259 square miles of central Georgia. Besides Milledgeville, the county seat, the biggest community is Hardwick. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1987.
40/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Baldwin County ranks 129 of 159 Georgia counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Baldwin County ranks highest compared with other Georgia counties.
Baldwin is on the colder side of Georgia for pipes. It averaged 31 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 2 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 159 Georgia counties that's 48th.
The freeze season here runs January, with January the coldest. If you travel then, leave the thermostat at 55°F or above and open sink cabinets on outside walls.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Nov 17 and the last spring freeze around Mar 13.
Baldwin gets fewer downpours than most Georgia counties, but they still fill basements. The county gets about 48.8 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 10.8 days of an inch or more (130th of 159). Those downpours cluster in February, April and December, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 6.44 inches on September 17, 2020. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 8.15 inches (through September 28, 2024).
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 31 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
Georgia's 159 counties range widely in housing age; Baldwin ranks 79th, with 39% of its homes built before 1980.
Housing age is mixed: 11% of homes are pre-1960 and 26% are 2000 or newer. Ask any plumber which era your house is from and you'll know which failures to watch for.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 36% 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 21% 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.
18% of homes were vacant at survey time. A leak in an empty rental or seasonal house can run for days before anyone notices, which is why those losses tend to be larger.
Renters occupy 39% of homes. If you rent, the building is usually the landlord's to repair, but your belongings are only covered by renters insurance.
Beyond water
Baldwin County averages 112 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in August. 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 Baldwin County's occupied homes: 14% utility gas, 75% electric, 10% propane and under 1% wood. Propane heat is more common here than the state median. Have chimneys swept and fuel-burning appliances serviced each fall, and keep three feet clear around stoves and space heaters.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Baldwin County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Baldwin gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. Washington County has the oldest housing nearby, with 51% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Baldwin | Georgia median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 11% | 15% | 105 of 159 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 39% | 38% | 79 of 159 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 26% | 27% | 87 of 159 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 21% | 21% | 78 of 159 |
| Vacant homes | 18% | 14% | 45 of 159 |
| Wood or propane heat | 9.8% | 7.1% | 66 of 159 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 2/yr | 2/yr | 48 of 159 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 11/yr | 12/yr | 130 of 159 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 31/yr | 29/yr | 72 of 159 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 112/yr | 112/yr | 79 of 159 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Georgia county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Baldwin County: freezing from January, heavy rain in February, April and December.
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