Delaware County, Iowa · Manchester
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Delaware County averages 65 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 44% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 8 times a year here, most often in June. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
44% 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.
In Delaware County, 3.62 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
34% of occupied homes in Delaware County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Iowa county median of 22.1%.
About 22 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 8,169 homes and around 17,558 residents, Delaware County is 578 square miles of eastern Iowa. The county seat is Manchester, and Earlville, Edgewood and Hopkinton round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1967.
52/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Delaware County ranks 40 of 99 Iowa counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Delaware County ranks highest compared with other Iowa counties.
For frozen pipes, Delaware County is a typical Iowa county, which is still plenty. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 65 nights a year at or below 20°F (42nd of 99) and 146 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 18 days below freezing (ending January 2021), and the low bottomed out near -32°F on January 31, 2019.
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 16 and the last spring freeze around May 2.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Iowa. About 8 days a year bring an inch or more (20th of 99), most often in June, out of 38.7 inches of total precipitation. On July 22, 2017, 3.62 inches fell in a single day. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 4.35 inches (through July 22, 2017).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 94 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
Iowa's 99 counties range widely in housing age; Delaware ranks 70th, with 66% of its homes built before 1980.
The mix runs from 44% built before 1960 to 17% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
Beyond water
About 22 nights a year in Delaware County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (71st of 99 counties). June is the wettest month. 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 expectBy main heating fuel, Delaware County homes break down as 51% utility gas, 12% electric, 30% propane and 4% wood. Wood and propane heat are above the Iowa 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 Delaware County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Buchanan and Clayton get more pipe-freeze nights than Delaware. Clayton County has the oldest housing nearby, with 68% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Delaware | Iowa median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 44% | 48% | 64 of 99 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 66% | 73% | 70 of 99 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 17% | 13% | 28 of 99 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 2.9% | 3.2% | 55 of 99 |
| Vacant homes | 9.8% | 9.5% | 44 of 99 |
| Wood or propane heat | 34% | 22% | 16 of 99 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 65/yr | 62/yr | 42 of 99 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 8/yr | 7.1/yr | 20 of 99 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 94/yr | 94/yr | 42 of 99 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 22/yr | 29/yr | 71 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 Delaware County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in June, September 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