Marshall County, Illinois · Lacon
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With 49% of homes built before 1960 and about 44 hard-freeze nights a year, frozen and split pipes are a leading winter risk in the county.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 6.8 times a year here, most often in June. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Marshall County gets about 6.8 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Marshall County, 4.32 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
22% of occupied homes in Marshall County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Illinois county median of 16.5%.
About 40 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
Marshall County covers 387 square miles of northern Illinois, with about 11,647 residents and 5,815 homes. The county seat is Lacon, and Henry, Toluca and Wenona round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1961, half after.
56/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Marshall County ranks 30 of 102 Illinois counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Marshall County ranks highest compared with other Illinois counties.
Marshall County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Illinois. From 2015–2024 it averaged 44 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 118 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 23rd of 102 counties.
The longest cold spell was straight 15 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in February 2021. The coldest night reached about -22°F on January 31, 2019. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
The freeze season here runs November to March, 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 24 and end around Apr 23.
Marshall gets fewer downpours than most Illinois counties, but they still fill basements. Of roughly 38.2 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 6.8 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 88th of 102. June, July and August see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 4.32 inches, September 28, 2019. The worst three-day stretch dropped 5.1 inches, ending September 30, 2019, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
About 87 days a year swing from below freezing at night to above freezing by day. Those freeze-thaw cycles feed ice dams on roofs, open cracks in foundations and driveways, and stress pipes that are already marginal.
Housing
Roughly 77% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Marshall among the oldest housing stocks of Illinois's 102 counties.
Before 1960 is when 49% of these homes went up. Galvanized supply lines and cast iron drains were standard then, and after 60-plus years both corrode and crack, often out of sight inside a wall or under a slab.
Beyond water
About 40 nights a year in Marshall County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (73rd of 102 counties). July 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, Marshall County homes break down as 55% utility gas, 20% electric, 21% propane and 1% 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 Marshall County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Bureau, LaSalle, Putnam and Stark get more pipe-freeze nights than Marshall. Stark County has the oldest housing nearby, with 81% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Marshall | Illinois median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 49% | 38% | 16 of 102 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 77% | 66% | 14 of 102 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 10% | 15% | 81 of 102 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 1.2% | 5.6% | 96 of 102 |
| Vacant homes | 12% | 11% | 34 of 102 |
| Wood or propane heat | 22% | 17% | 29 of 102 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 44/yr | 35/yr | 23 of 102 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 6.8/yr | 8.4/yr | 88 of 102 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 87/yr | 81/yr | 25 of 102 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 40/yr | 51/yr | 73 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 Marshall County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in June, July and August.
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