Taylor County, Iowa · Bedford
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Pipes freeze in Taylor County on about 52 nights a year, mostly November to March. Older homes, 57% of the stock here, are most at risk.
July brings the most downpours to Taylor County, part of 8.5 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
Sewage backups in Taylor County spike on heavy-rain days, about 8.5 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Taylor County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 3.06 inches, and about 93 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
32% of occupied homes in Taylor County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Iowa county median of 22.1%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 39 times a year in Taylor County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
About 5,868 people live in Taylor County, 532 square miles in southwest Iowa, in roughly 2,889 homes. The county seat is Bedford, and Lenox, New Market and Clearfield round out the largest towns. It has some of the oldest housing in the state: the median home went up in 1951.
66/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Taylor County ranks 12 of 99 Iowa counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Taylor County ranks highest compared with other Iowa counties.
Taylor County is milder than most of Iowa, but not mild enough to skip winterizing. From 2015–2024 it averaged 52 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 128 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 84th of 99 counties.
On February 16, 2021 the low fell to about -20°F, and in the stretch ending January 2018 the county went 16 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
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 19 and the last spring freeze around Apr 17.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Iowa. The county gets about 37.4 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 8.5 days of an inch or more (10th of 99). Those downpours cluster in June, July and September, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 3.06 inches on August 20, 2018. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 4.54 inches (through October 8, 2017).
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; Taylor ranks 14th, with 81% of its homes built before 1980.
57% were built before 1960. Homes from that era often still have galvanized steel supply pipe, which rusts from the inside until it pinholes, and cast iron drains that crack with age. Slow leaks behind walls are a common start to water damage in these houses.
14% of homes were vacant at survey time. A leak in an empty rental or seasonal house can run for days before anyone notices, which is why those losses tend to be larger.
Beyond water
About 39 nights a year in Taylor County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (15th of 99 counties). May is the wettest month. 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 expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Taylor County it's 41% utility gas, 24% electric, 30% propane and 2% wood. Propane heat is 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 Taylor County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Adams gets more pipe-freeze nights than Taylor. It also has the most heavy-rain days in its area. Page County has the oldest housing nearby, with 82% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Taylor | Iowa median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 57% | 48% | 11 of 99 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 81% | 73% | 14 of 99 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 9.5% | 13% | 80 of 99 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 4.2% | 3.2% | 31 of 99 |
| Vacant homes | 14% | 9.5% | 18 of 99 |
| Wood or propane heat | 32% | 22% | 23 of 99 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 52/yr | 62/yr | 84 of 99 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 8.5/yr | 7.1/yr | 10 of 99 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 93/yr | 94/yr | 54 of 99 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 39/yr | 29/yr | 15 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 Taylor County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in June, July 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