Marion County, Kansas · Marion
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Marion County averages 34 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to February, and 55% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 7.3 times a year here, most often in May. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in Marion County spike on heavy-rain days, about 7.3 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 88 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
24% of occupied homes in Marion County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Kansas county median of 16.9%.
About 69 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 5,693 homes and around 11,754 residents, Marion County is 944 square miles of eastern Kansas. Marion is the county seat; Hillsboro, Peabody and Goessel are the next largest communities. It has some of the oldest housing in the state: the median home went up in 1957.
56/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Marion County ranks 32 of 105 Kansas counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Marion County ranks highest compared with other Kansas counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Marion County sits near the middle of the state. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 34 nights a year at or below 20°F (69th of 105) and 106 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 13 days below freezing (ending February 2021), and the low bottomed out near -17°F on February 16, 2021.
Expect the hardest freezes in January, inside a season that runs November to February. That's when an outdoor spigot left connected to a hose, or a pipe in a crawl space, is most likely to split.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 26 and end around Apr 10.
Rainfall is about average for Kansas. The county gets about 32.5 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 7.3 days of an inch or more (47th of 105). Those downpours cluster in May, July and August, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 3.1 inches on May 21, 2019. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.59 inches, ending May 9, 2019, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 88 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
74% of homes in Marion County predate 1980, close to the Kansas county median of 73.7%, which ranks 45th of Kansas's 105 counties.
Before 1960 is when 55% of these homes went up. Galvanized supply lines and cast iron drains were standard then, and after 60-plus years both corrode and crack, often out of sight inside a wall or under a slab.
Beyond water
Marion County averages 69 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in May. 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, Marion County homes break down as 57% utility gas, 18% electric, 19% propane and 5% wood. Wood and propane heat are above the Kansas 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 Marion County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Chase, McPherson and Morris get more pipe-freeze nights than Marion. Dickinson County has the oldest housing nearby, with 77% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Marion | Kansas median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 55% | 48% | 27 of 105 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 74% | 74% | 45 of 105 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 11% | 11% | 51 of 105 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 4% | 5.6% | 70 of 105 |
| Vacant homes | 17% | 15% | 41 of 105 |
| Wood or propane heat | 24% | 17% | 31 of 105 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 34/yr | 39/yr | 69 of 105 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 7.3/yr | 6.8/yr | 47 of 105 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 88/yr | 97/yr | 74 of 105 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 69/yr | 59/yr | 34 of 105 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Kansas county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Marion County: freezing from November to February, heavy rain in May, 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