Paulding County, Georgia · Dallas
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Pipes freeze in Paulding County on about 4 nights a year, mostly January. Older homes, 4% of the stock here, are most at risk.
December brings the most downpours to Paulding County, part of 11.3 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
4% 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.
Paulding County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 4.66 inches, and about 45 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
4% of occupied homes in Paulding County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Georgia county median of 7.1%.
About 90 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 178,909 people live in Paulding County, 312 square miles in northwest Georgia, in roughly 63,118 homes. Besides Dallas, the county seat, the biggest communities are Hiram and Braswell. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 2002.
36/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Paulding County ranks 138 of 159 Georgia counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Paulding County ranks highest compared with other Georgia counties.
Paulding County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Georgia. From 2015–2024 it averaged 4 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 46 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 18th 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 12 and end around Mar 19.
Paulding gets fewer downpours than most Georgia counties, but they still fill basements. The county gets about 52 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 11.3 days of an inch or more (117th of 159). Those downpours cluster in January, February and December, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 4.66 inches on September 27, 2024. The worst three-day stretch dropped 6.94 inches, ending September 28, 2024, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 45 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; Paulding ranks 156th, with 11% of its homes built before 1980.
Since 2000 the county has added enough housing that 57% 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 32% 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.
Beyond water
About 90 nights a year in Paulding County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (134th of 159 counties). February is the wettest month. 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 expectBy main heating fuel, Paulding County homes break down as 52% utility gas, 43% electric, 4% 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 Paulding County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Paulding gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. Polk County has the oldest housing nearby, with 47% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Paulding | Georgia median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 3.6% | 15% | 152 of 159 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 11% | 38% | 156 of 159 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 57% | 27% | 3 of 159 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 3.2% | 21% | 146 of 159 |
| Vacant homes | 4.9% | 14% | 150 of 159 |
| Wood or propane heat | 4.3% | 7.1% | 103 of 159 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 4/yr | 2/yr | 18 of 159 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 11/yr | 12/yr | 117 of 159 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 45/yr | 29/yr | 27 of 159 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 90/yr | 112/yr | 134 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 Paulding County: freezing from 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