Grundy County, Iowa · Grundy Center
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Grundy County averages 64 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 48% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 7.1 times a year here, most often in June. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
48% 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 Grundy County, 3.16 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
26% of occupied homes in Grundy County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Iowa county median of 22.1%.
With 25 muggy nights a year, mold in Grundy County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
Grundy County covers 502 square miles of central Iowa, with about 12,384 residents and 5,498 homes. Besides Grundy Center, the county seat, the biggest communities are Reinbeck, Dike and Conrad. The county's median home was built in 1962.
50/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Grundy County ranks 47 of 99 Iowa counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Grundy County ranks highest compared with other Iowa counties.
For frozen pipes, Grundy County is a typical Iowa county, which is still plenty. It averaged 143 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 64 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 99 Iowa counties that's 45th.
The longest cold spell was straight 17 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in February 2021. The coldest night reached about -28°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.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Oct 15 and the last spring freeze around Apr 26.
Rainfall is about average for Iowa. Of roughly 35.5 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 7.1 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 49th of 99. June, July and August see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 3.16 inches, August 29, 2015. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 3.97 inches (through May 22, 2024).
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 92 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; Grundy ranks 41st, with 75% of its homes built before 1980.
The mix runs from 48% built before 1960 to 13% 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 25 times a year here, below the Iowa county median of 29. 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, Grundy County homes break down as 55% utility gas, 17% electric, 25% propane and 1% wood. Propane heat is more common here than in most Iowa counties. Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires nationally, and the NFPA recommends having chimneys and vents inspected every year.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Grundy County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Black Hawk, Butler and Hardin get more pipe-freeze nights than Grundy. Hardin County has the oldest housing nearby, with 84% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Grundy | Iowa median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 48% | 48% | 49 of 99 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 75% | 73% | 41 of 99 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 13% | 13% | 50 of 99 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 2.9% | 3.2% | 55 of 99 |
| Vacant homes | 6.9% | 9.5% | 87 of 99 |
| Wood or propane heat | 26% | 22% | 39 of 99 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 64/yr | 62/yr | 45 of 99 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 7.1/yr | 7.1/yr | 49 of 99 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 92/yr | 94/yr | 67 of 99 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 25/yr | 29/yr | 63 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 Grundy 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