Clayton County, Georgia · Jonesboro
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Clayton County averages 3 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly January, and 8% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 13.1 times a year here, most often in December. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Clayton County gets about 13.1 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Clayton County, 7.01 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
2% of occupied homes in Clayton County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Georgia county median of 7.1%.
With 105 muggy nights a year, mold in Clayton County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
About 298,924 people live in Clayton County, 142 square miles in northwest Georgia, in roughly 115,476 homes. The county seat is Jonesboro, and Forest Park, Riverdale and Lovejoy round out the largest towns. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1989.
53/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Clayton County ranks 63 of 159 Georgia counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Clayton County ranks highest compared with other Georgia counties.
Clayton County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Georgia. From 2015–2024 it averaged 3 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 33 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 25th of 159 counties.
Most freezing nights fall from January, 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 23 and end around Mar 11.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Georgia. The county gets about 55.8 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 13.1 days of an inch or more (41st of 159). Those downpours cluster in January, April and December, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 7.01 inches on September 27, 2024. The worst three-day stretch dropped 10.28 inches, ending September 28, 2024, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 32 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
35% of homes in Clayton County predate 1980, close to the Georgia county median of 38.4%, which ranks 94th of Georgia's 159 counties.
Growth since 2000 added 31% of today's homes. In houses that new, the weak points are washing machine hoses, ice maker lines, water heaters and sump pumps rather than the pipes in the walls.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 33% 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.
Renters occupy 46% 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
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 105 times a year here, close to the Georgia county median of 112. 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 expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Clayton County it's 48% utility gas, 50% electric, 2% propane and under 1% wood. Heating equipment, cooking and electrical failures cause most home fires nationally. Even a small kitchen fire can leave soot through the whole house, because smoke follows air currents into closets, ducts and attic space.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Clayton County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Clayton gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. DeKalb County has the oldest housing nearby, with 44% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Clayton | Georgia median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 7.6% | 15% | 128 of 159 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 35% | 38% | 94 of 159 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 31% | 27% | 56 of 159 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 2.7% | 21% | 151 of 159 |
| Vacant homes | 8.3% | 14% | 133 of 159 |
| Wood or propane heat | 1.7% | 7.1% | 150 of 159 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 3/yr | 2/yr | 25 of 159 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 13/yr | 12/yr | 41 of 159 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 32/yr | 29/yr | 68 of 159 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 105/yr | 112/yr | 92 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 Clayton County: freezing from January, heavy rain in January, 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