Houghton County, Michigan · Houghton
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Houghton County averages 94 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to April, and 50% of its homes predate 1960.
August brings the most downpours to Houghton County, part of 2.6 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Houghton County gets about 2.6 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Houghton County, 1.66 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
25% of occupied homes in Houghton County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Michigan county median of 29%.
About 2 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 37,693 people live in Houghton County, 1,009 square miles in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, in roughly 18,870 homes. The county seat is Houghton, and Hancock, Laurium and Dollar Bay round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1960, half after.
61/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Houghton County ranks 17 of 83 Michigan counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Houghton County ranks highest compared with other Michigan counties.
Houghton County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Michigan. From 2015–2024 it averaged 94 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 177 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 7th of 83 counties.
The longest cold spell was straight 45 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in February 2019. The coldest night reached about -25°F on February 26, 2015. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
Most freezing nights fall from November to April, peaking in January. Disconnect garden hoses and shut off outdoor spigots before the first hard frost, and keep the heat at 55°F or higher if you'll be away.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 8 and end around May 21.
Houghton gets fewer downpours than most Michigan counties, but they still fill basements. Of roughly 32.4 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 2.6 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 76th of 83. June, July and August see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 1.66 inches, August 21, 2016. The worst three-day stretch dropped 3.08 inches, ending October 11, 2018, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 98 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
71% of homes in Houghton County predate 1980, above the Michigan county median of 58.4%, which ranks 8th of Michigan's 83 counties.
Before 1960 is when 50% 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.
The Census counted 24% of homes as vacant, above the Michigan county median of 19.5%. Empty houses are where a small leak turns into a large claim, because nobody is there to hear it.
Renters occupy 28% of homes. If you rent, the building is usually the landlord's to repair, but your belongings are only covered by renters insurance.
Beyond water
About 2 nights a year in Houghton County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (70th of 83 counties). August 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 expectMain heating fuel in Houghton County's occupied homes: 63% utility gas, 8% electric, 18% propane and 8% wood. Fires here are likelier to start in the kitchen or the wiring than in the furnace. After any fire, keep the HVAC off until ducts are checked, or soot will travel through the house.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Houghton County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Baraga, Iron, Marquette and Ontonagon get more pipe-freeze nights than Houghton. Ontonagon County has the oldest housing nearby, with 71% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Houghton | Michigan median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 50% | 32% | 3 of 83 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 71% | 58% | 8 of 83 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 14% | 16% | 56 of 83 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 4.2% | 7.3% | 69 of 83 |
| Vacant homes | 24% | 20% | 37 of 83 |
| Wood or propane heat | 25% | 29% | 49 of 83 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 94/yr | 54/yr | 7 of 83 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 2.6/yr | 3.9/yr | 76 of 83 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 98/yr | 95/yr | 30 of 83 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 2/yr | 10/yr | 70 of 83 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Michigan county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Houghton County: freezing from November to April, 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