Jay County, Indiana · Portland
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Jay County averages 34 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 51% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 6.2 times a year here, most often in July. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in Jay County spike on heavy-rain days, about 6.2 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 82 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
27% of occupied homes in Jay County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Indiana county median of 17%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 33 times a year in Jay County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
Jay County covers 384 square miles of northeast Indiana, with about 20,229 residents and 8,904 homes. The county seat is Portland, and Dunkirk, Redkey and Pennville round out the largest towns. It has some of the oldest housing in the state: the median home went up in 1959.
56/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Jay County ranks 25 of 92 Indiana counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Jay County ranks highest compared with other Indiana counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Jay County sits near the middle of the state. From 2015–2024 it averaged 34 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 111 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 37th of 92 counties.
On January 31, 2019 the low fell to about -14°F, and in the stretch ending March 2015 the county went 19 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
Expect the hardest freezes in January, inside a season that runs November to March. That's when an outdoor spigot left connected to a hose, or a pipe in a crawl space, is most likely to split.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 23 and end around Apr 24.
Jay gets fewer downpours than most Indiana counties, but they still fill basements. Of roughly 40.9 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 6.2 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 69th of 92. April, June and July see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 2.48 inches, June 27, 2015. The worst three-day stretch dropped 3.61 inches, ending December 29, 2015, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 82 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
73% of homes in Jay County predate 1980, above the Indiana county median of 58.2%, which ranks 10th of Indiana's 92 counties.
Before 1960 is when 51% 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.
The Census counted 12% of homes as vacant, above the Indiana county median of 9.2%. Empty houses are where a small leak turns into a large claim, because nobody is there to hear it.
Beyond water
About 33 nights a year in Jay County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (63rd of 92 counties). June 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, Jay County homes break down as 43% utility gas, 25% electric, 20% propane and 7% wood. Wood and propane heat are more common here than the state median. Have chimneys swept and fuel-burning appliances serviced each fall, and keep three feet clear around stoves and space heaters.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Jay County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Adams and Wells get more pipe-freeze nights than Jay. Randolph County has the oldest housing nearby, with 76% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Jay | Indiana median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 51% | 35% | 6 of 92 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 73% | 58% | 10 of 92 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 10% | 18% | 82 of 92 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 4.9% | 6.4% | 55 of 92 |
| Vacant homes | 12% | 9.2% | 18 of 92 |
| Wood or propane heat | 27% | 17% | 20 of 92 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 34/yr | 33/yr | 37 of 92 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 6.2/yr | 7.8/yr | 69 of 92 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 82/yr | 84/yr | 53 of 92 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 33/yr | 38/yr | 63 of 92 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Indiana county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Jay County: freezing from November to March, 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