Blue Earth County, Minnesota · Mankato
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Pipes freeze in Blue Earth County on about 79 nights a year, mostly November to March. Older homes, 32% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Basements flood here mostly in June. Blue Earth County averages 7.4 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Blue Earth County gets about 7.4 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 86 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
13% of occupied homes in Blue Earth County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Minnesota county median of 30%.
About 22 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 69,871 people live in Blue Earth County, 748 square miles in southern Minnesota, in roughly 29,864 homes. Mankato is the county seat; Eagle Lake, Lake Crystal and Mapleton are the next largest communities. The county's median home was built in 1978.
52/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Blue Earth County ranks 38 of 87 Minnesota counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Blue Earth County ranks highest compared with other Minnesota counties.
Blue Earth County is milder than most of Minnesota, but not mild enough to skip winterizing. From 2015–2024 it averaged 79 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 152 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 71st of 87 counties.
On January 31, 2019 the low fell to about -28°F, and in the stretch ending February 2019 the county went 19 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
Most freezing nights fall from November to March, 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.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Oct 13 and the last spring freeze around Apr 30.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Minnesota. The county gets about 34.6 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 7.4 days of an inch or more (12th of 87). Those downpours cluster in May, June and August, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 2.95 inches on September 22, 2016. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 4.58 inches (through June 23, 2024).
About 86 days a year swing from below freezing at night to above freezing by day. Those freeze-thaw cycles feed ice dams on roofs, open cracks in foundations and driveways, and stress pipes that are already marginal.
Housing
Minnesota's 87 counties range widely in housing age; Blue Earth ranks 55th, with 52% of its homes built before 1980.
Since 2000 the county has added enough housing that 30% of homes are that new. Modern PEX and copper rarely fail on their own; the leaks come from connections, appliances and storms.
Renters occupy 39% 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
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 22 times a year here, above the Minnesota county median of 13. Mold grows when indoor humidity stays above about 60%, the EPA's ceiling. A basement dehumidifier set to 50% and drying anything wet within 24 to 48 hours prevents most problems.
Mold remediation: what to expectMain heating fuel in Blue Earth County's occupied homes: 65% utility gas, 20% electric, 12% propane and 1% wood. Most homes here heat with gas or electricity, so cooking and electrical faults are the likelier fire sources. Even a contained kitchen fire can send soot through the ductwork to every room.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Blue Earth County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Brown, Martin, Waseca and Watonwan get more pipe-freeze nights than Blue Earth. It also has the most heavy-rain days in its area. Faribault County has the oldest housing nearby, with 86% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Blue Earth | Minnesota median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 32% | 34% | 53 of 87 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 52% | 58% | 55 of 87 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 30% | 21% | 16 of 87 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 4.9% | 3.8% | 31 of 87 |
| Vacant homes | 7.6% | 11% | 60 of 87 |
| Wood or propane heat | 13% | 30% | 76 of 87 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 79/yr | 89/yr | 71 of 87 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 7.4/yr | 5.3/yr | 12 of 87 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 86/yr | 86/yr | 44 of 87 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 22/yr | 13/yr | 5 of 87 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Minnesota county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Blue Earth County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in May, June 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