Greene County, Illinois · Carrollton
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Pipes freeze in Greene County on about 31 nights a year, mostly November to February. Older homes, 52% of the stock here, are most at risk.
July brings the most downpours to Greene County, part of 8.7 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
52% 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.
Greene County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 3.83 inches, and about 77 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
24% of occupied homes in Greene County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Illinois county median of 16.5%.
About 61 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 5,785 homes and around 11,683 residents, Greene County is 543 square miles of western Illinois. Carrollton is the county seat; White Hall, Roodhouse and Greenfield are the next largest communities. It has some of the oldest housing in the state: the median home went up in 1957.
63/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Greene County ranks 11 of 102 Illinois counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Greene County ranks highest compared with other Illinois counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Greene County sits near the middle of the state. It averaged 98 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 31 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 102 Illinois counties that's 60th.
On January 15, 2024 the low fell to about -10°F, and in the stretch ending January 2018 the county went 14 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
The freeze season here runs November to February, 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 Oct 25 and end around Apr 13.
Rainfall is about average for Illinois. About 8.7 days a year bring an inch or more (47th of 102), most often in July, out of 41.3 inches of total precipitation. On April 30, 2017, 3.83 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 5.89 inches, ending December 29, 2015, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 77 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
Illinois's 102 counties range widely in housing age; Greene ranks 17th, with 76% of its homes built before 1980.
In Greene County 52% of homes are older than 1960. If yours is one of them and the plumbing has never been replaced, expect galvanized steel supply pipe and cast iron drain lines, the two materials most likely to fail quietly.
Here 10% 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.
23% 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
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 61 times a year here, above the Illinois county median of 51. Keep indoor humidity under 60%, as the EPA advises, and dry any leak within 24 to 48 hours; in a humid month a wet basement left alone won't dry by itself.
Mold remediation: what to expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Greene County it's 53% utility gas, 21% electric, 22% propane and 2% wood. Propane heat is above the Illinois 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 Greene County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Morgan, Pike and Scott get more pipe-freeze nights than Greene. Its housing is the oldest in the area by share of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Greene | Illinois median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 52% | 38% | 8 of 102 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 76% | 66% | 17 of 102 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 8.1% | 15% | 95 of 102 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 10% | 5.6% | 29 of 102 |
| Vacant homes | 23% | 11% | 7 of 102 |
| Wood or propane heat | 24% | 17% | 22 of 102 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 31/yr | 35/yr | 60 of 102 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 8.7/yr | 8.4/yr | 47 of 102 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 77/yr | 81/yr | 61 of 102 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 61/yr | 51/yr | 35 of 102 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Illinois county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Greene County: freezing from November to February, heavy rain in April, June and July.
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