Kossuth County, Iowa · Algona
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Kossuth County averages 77 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 6.3 times a year here, most often in August. 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 Kossuth County, 3.19 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
30% of occupied homes in Kossuth County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Iowa county median of 22.1%.
About 20 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
About 14,516 people live in Kossuth County, 973 square miles in northern Iowa, in roughly 7,205 homes. Algona is the county seat; Bancroft, Swea City and Whittemore are the next largest communities. The county's median home was built in 1962.
50/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Kossuth County ranks 48 of 99 Iowa counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Kossuth County ranks highest compared with other Iowa counties.
Kossuth is on the colder side of Iowa for pipes. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 77 nights a year at or below 20°F (8th of 99) and 152 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 19 days below freezing (ending February 2019), and the low bottomed out near -27°F on January 30, 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 13 and the last spring freeze around Apr 27.
Kossuth gets fewer downpours than most Iowa counties, but they still fill basements. The county gets about 34 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 6.3 days of an inch or more (79th of 99). Those downpours cluster in May, August and September, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 3.19 inches on September 20, 2018. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 5.43 inches (through September 21, 2018).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 92 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; Kossuth ranks 22nd, with 78% 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
About 20 nights a year in Kossuth County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (85th of 99 counties). May 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, Kossuth County homes break down as 53% utility gas, 14% electric, 29% propane and under 1% wood. Propane heat is 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 Kossuth County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Emmet and Winnebago get more pipe-freeze nights than Kossuth. Emmet County has the oldest housing nearby, with 88% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Kossuth | Iowa median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 48% | 48% | 47 of 99 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 78% | 73% | 22 of 99 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 13% | 13% | 54 of 99 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 0.5% | 3.2% | 98 of 99 |
| Vacant homes | 9.2% | 9.5% | 53 of 99 |
| Wood or propane heat | 30% | 22% | 28 of 99 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 77/yr | 62/yr | 8 of 99 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 6.3/yr | 7.1/yr | 79 of 99 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 92/yr | 94/yr | 67 of 99 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 20/yr | 29/yr | 85 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 Kossuth County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in May, August and September.
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