Jones County, Iowa · Anamosa
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Jones County averages 56 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 42% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 7.8 times a year here, most often in June. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
42% 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 Jones County, 3.21 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
39% of occupied homes in Jones County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Iowa county median of 22.1%.
About 27 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
Jones County covers 576 square miles of eastern Iowa, with about 20,896 residents and 8,889 homes. Besides Anamosa, the county seat, the biggest communities are Monticello, Olin and Wyoming. The county's median home was built in 1970.
44/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Jones County ranks 68 of 99 Iowa counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Jones County ranks highest compared with other Iowa counties.
For frozen pipes, Jones County is a typical Iowa county, which is still plenty. It averaged 137 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 56 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 64th.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 17 days below freezing (ending February 2021), and the low bottomed out near -30°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 Apr 25.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Iowa. The county gets about 37.8 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 7.8 days of an inch or more (24th of 99). Those downpours cluster in June, September and October, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 3.21 inches on July 22, 2017. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 3.97 inches (through July 22, 2017).
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 91 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; Jones ranks 80th, with 63% of its homes built before 1980.
Growth since 2000 added 18% of today's homes. In houses that new, the weak points are washing machine hoses, ice maker lines, water heaters and sump pumps rather than the pipes in the walls.
Beyond water
Jones County averages 27 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in June. Keep indoor humidity under 60%, as the EPA advises, and dry any leak within 24 to 48 hours; in a humid month a wet basement left alone won't dry by itself.
Mold remediation: what to expectBy main heating fuel, Jones County homes break down as 43% utility gas, 16% electric, 35% 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 Jones County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Cedar, Delaware, Dubuque and Linn get more pipe-freeze nights than Jones. Clinton County has the oldest housing nearby, with 77% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Jones | Iowa median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 42% | 48% | 70 of 99 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 63% | 73% | 80 of 99 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 18% | 13% | 22 of 99 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 5.1% | 3.2% | 19 of 99 |
| Vacant homes | 7.8% | 9.5% | 75 of 99 |
| Wood or propane heat | 39% | 22% | 9 of 99 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 56/yr | 62/yr | 64 of 99 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 7.8/yr | 7.1/yr | 24 of 99 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 91/yr | 94/yr | 78 of 99 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 27/yr | 29/yr | 57 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 Jones 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