Dawson County, Georgia · Dawsonville
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Dawson County averages 7 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly December to January, and 5% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 16.3 times a year here, most often in February. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Dawson County gets about 16.3 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Dawson County, 4.81 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
24% of occupied homes in Dawson County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Georgia county median of 7.1%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 58 times a year in Dawson County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
Dawson County covers 211 square miles of northwest Georgia, with about 30,242 residents and 12,992 homes. Dawsonville is the county seat. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1999.
55/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Dawson County ranks 57 of 159 Georgia counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Dawson County ranks highest compared with other Georgia counties.
Dawson County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Georgia. From 2015–2024 it averaged 7 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 58 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 6th of 159 counties.
The freeze season here runs December to January, with January the coldest. If you travel then, leave the thermostat at 55°F or above and open sink cabinets on outside walls.
Freezing nights typically start around Nov 10 and end around Mar 29.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Georgia. Of roughly 62.8 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 16.3 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 10th of 159. January, February and December see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 4.81 inches, September 27, 2024. The worst three-day stretch dropped 7.73 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 57 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
Georgia's 159 counties range widely in housing age; Dawson ranks 149th, with 17% of its homes built before 1980.
Since 2000 the county has added enough housing that 47% of homes are that new. Modern PEX and copper rarely fail on their own; the leaks come from connections, appliances and storms.
About 35% of homes went up between 1980 and 1999. Some houses from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s were plumbed with polybutylene, a gray plastic pipe known for failing at fittings. A plumber can tell you in a few minutes whether you have it.
Here 8% of housing is manufactured homes. Check the skirting and the heat tape on the main water line every fall, because that one exposed line is what freezes.
Beyond water
About 58 nights a year in Dawson County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (152nd of 159 counties). February is the wettest month. 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, Dawson County homes break down as 23% utility gas, 53% electric, 21% propane and 3% wood. Wood and propane heat are more common here than in most Georgia 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 Dawson County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Fannin and Gilmer get more pipe-freeze nights than Dawson. Fannin County has the oldest housing nearby, with 26% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Dawson | Georgia median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 4.5% | 15% | 147 of 159 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 17% | 38% | 149 of 159 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 47% | 27% | 10 of 159 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 8% | 21% | 127 of 159 |
| Vacant homes | 11% | 14% | 107 of 159 |
| Wood or propane heat | 24% | 7.1% | 15 of 159 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 7/yr | 2/yr | 6 of 159 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 16/yr | 12/yr | 10 of 159 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 57/yr | 29/yr | 8 of 159 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 58/yr | 112/yr | 152 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 Dawson County: freezing from December to January, heavy rain in January, February 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