Worth County, Georgia · Sylvester
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Worth County averages 1 night a year at 20°F or colder, mostly midwinter, and 16% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 12 times a year here, most often in January. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in Worth County spike on heavy-rain days, about 12 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
10% of occupied homes in Worth County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Georgia county median of 7.1%.
About 132 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
With 9,326 homes and around 20,451 residents, Worth County is 571 square miles of southern Georgia. Sylvester is the county seat; Poulan, Warwick and Sumner are the next largest communities. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1985.
52/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Worth County ranks 74 of 159 Georgia counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Worth County ranks highest compared with other Georgia counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Worth County sits near the middle of the state. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 1 night a year at or below 20°F (85th of 159) and 16 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
Hard freezes are uncommon here, about 16 nights a year at or below 32°F, and that's exactly why they do damage: pipes in attics, exterior walls and slab-edge plumbing are rarely insulated. The coldest night in the record was about 15°F on December 24, 2022.
Rainfall is about average for Georgia. The county gets about 50.9 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 12 days of an inch or more (84th of 159). Those downpours cluster in January, February and April, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 4.42 inches on December 6, 2016. The worst three-day stretch dropped 6.07 inches, ending December 7, 2016, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Housing
Roughly 42% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Worth near the middle of Georgia's 159 counties.
The mix runs from 16% built before 1960 to 18% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
About 40% 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 34% 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.
17% 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.
Beyond water
Worth County averages 132 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in December. 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, Worth County homes break down as 7% utility gas, 82% electric, 10% propane and under 1% wood. Propane heat is above the Georgia norm. Annual chimney and vent inspection, which the NFPA recommends, is one of the most effective fire-prevention habits for these homes.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Worth County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Worth gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. Dougherty County has the oldest housing nearby, with 61% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Worth | Georgia median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 16% | 15% | 65 of 159 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 42% | 38% | 58 of 159 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 18% | 27% | 136 of 159 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 34% | 21% | 20 of 159 |
| Vacant homes | 17% | 14% | 54 of 159 |
| Wood or propane heat | 10% | 7.1% | 62 of 159 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 1/yr | 2/yr | 85 of 159 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 12/yr | 12/yr | 84 of 159 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 16/yr | 29/yr | 128 of 159 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 132/yr | 112/yr | 33 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 Worth County: freezing from midwinter, heavy rain in January, February and April.
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