Moultrie County, Illinois · Sullivan
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Pipes freeze in Moultrie County on about 32 nights a year, mostly November to March. Older homes, 42% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Basements flood here mostly in June. Moultrie County averages 7.5 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Moultrie County gets about 7.5 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 81 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
20% of occupied homes in Moultrie County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Illinois county median of 16.5%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 50 times a year in Moultrie County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
With 6,240 homes and around 14,424 residents, Moultrie County is 336 square miles of eastern Illinois. The county seat is Sullivan, and Bethany, Lovington and Dalton City round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1968.
44/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Moultrie County ranks 77 of 102 Illinois counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Moultrie County ranks highest compared with other Illinois counties.
For frozen pipes, Moultrie County is a typical Illinois county, which is still plenty. From 2015–2024 it averaged 32 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 105 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 57th of 102 counties.
The longest cold spell was straight 14 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in January 2018. The coldest night reached about -12°F on January 30, 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.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Oct 25 and the last spring freeze around Apr 17.
Moultrie gets fewer downpours than most Illinois counties, but they still fill basements. Of roughly 40.2 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 7.5 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 70th of 102. June, July and October see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 3.5 inches, December 27, 2015. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 6.02 inches (through December 29, 2015).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 81 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; Moultrie ranks 45th, with 68% of its homes built before 1980.
The mix runs from 42% built before 1960 to 15% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 50 times a year here, close to the Illinois county median of 51. 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, Moultrie County homes break down as 52% utility gas, 23% electric, 17% propane and 4% wood. Wood 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 Moultrie County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Macon and Piatt get more pipe-freeze nights than Moultrie. Macon County has the oldest housing nearby, with 75% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Moultrie | Illinois median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 42% | 38% | 47 of 102 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 68% | 66% | 45 of 102 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 15% | 15% | 52 of 102 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 5.5% | 5.6% | 52 of 102 |
| Vacant homes | 6.8% | 11% | 87 of 102 |
| Wood or propane heat | 20% | 17% | 36 of 102 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 32/yr | 35/yr | 57 of 102 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 7.5/yr | 8.4/yr | 70 of 102 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 81/yr | 81/yr | 46 of 102 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 50/yr | 51/yr | 54 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 Moultrie County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in June, July and October.
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