Dallas County, Iowa · Adel
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Pipes freeze in Dallas County on about 56 nights a year, mostly November to March. Older homes, 13% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Basements flood here mostly in July. Dallas County averages 6.1 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Sewage backups in Dallas County spike on heavy-rain days, about 6.1 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Dallas County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 2.75 inches, and about 93 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
8% of occupied homes in Dallas County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Iowa county median of 22.1%.
With 36 muggy nights a year, mold in Dallas County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
About 107,968 people live in Dallas County, 588 square miles in central Iowa, in roughly 44,804 homes. The county seat is Adel, and Waukee, Clive and Perry round out the largest towns. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 2006.
24/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Lower Dallas County ranks 99 of 99 Iowa counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Dallas County ranks highest compared with other Iowa counties.
For frozen pipes, Dallas County is a typical Iowa county, which is still plenty. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 56 nights a year at or below 20°F (64th of 99) and 133 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
The longest cold spell was straight 16 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in January 2018. The coldest night reached about -22°F on January 30, 2019. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
Most freezing nights fall from November to March, peaking in January. Disconnect garden hoses and shut off outdoor spigots before the first hard frost, and keep the heat at 55°F or higher if you'll be away.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Oct 18 and the last spring freeze around Apr 23.
Dallas gets fewer downpours than most Iowa counties, but they still fill basements. The county gets about 33.3 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 6.1 days of an inch or more (83rd of 99). Those downpours cluster in June, July and August, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 2.75 inches on June 25, 2015. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 3.49 inches (through July 29, 2015).
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 93 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
Iowa's 99 counties range widely in housing age; Dallas ranks 99th, with 22% of its homes built before 1980.
Since 2000 the county has added enough housing that 65% of homes are that new. Modern PEX and copper rarely fail on their own; the leaks come from connections, appliances and storms.
Renters occupy 31% of homes. If you rent, the building is usually the landlord's to repair, but your belongings are only covered by renters insurance.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 36 times a year here, above the Iowa county median of 29. 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 expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Dallas County it's 59% utility gas, 32% electric, 7% propane and under 1% wood. Most homes here heat with gas or electricity, so cooking and electrical faults are the likelier fire sources. Even a contained kitchen fire can send soot through the ductwork to every room.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Dallas County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Boone and Guthrie get more pipe-freeze nights than Dallas. All of its neighbors see more heavy-rain days. Boone County has the oldest housing nearby, with 69% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Dallas | Iowa median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 13% | 48% | 99 of 99 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 22% | 73% | 99 of 99 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 65% | 13% | 1 of 99 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 2% | 3.2% | 71 of 99 |
| Vacant homes | 5.2% | 9.5% | 98 of 99 |
| Wood or propane heat | 7.8% | 22% | 92 of 99 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 56/yr | 62/yr | 64 of 99 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 6.1/yr | 7.1/yr | 83 of 99 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 93/yr | 94/yr | 54 of 99 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 36/yr | 29/yr | 27 of 99 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Iowa county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Dallas 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