Hennepin County, Minnesota · Minneapolis
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Pipes freeze in Hennepin County on about 78 nights a year, mostly November to March. Older homes, 36% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Basements flood here mostly in August. Hennepin County averages 5.4 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Hennepin County gets about 5.4 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 83 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
2% of occupied homes in Hennepin County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Minnesota county median of 30%.
About 21 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 1,269,496 people live in Hennepin County, 554 square miles in southern Minnesota, in roughly 571,527 homes. Minneapolis is the county seat; Bloomington, Brooklyn Park and Plymouth are the next largest communities. The county's median home was built in 1973.
46/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Hennepin County ranks 51 of 87 Minnesota counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Hennepin County ranks highest compared with other Minnesota counties.
Hennepin County is milder than most of Minnesota, but not mild enough to skip winterizing. From 2015–2024 it averaged 78 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 150 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 77th of 87 counties.
On January 31, 2019 the low fell to about -30°F, and in the stretch ending March 2015 the county went 26 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 20 and the last spring freeze around Apr 27.
Rainfall is about average for Minnesota. Of roughly 31.1 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 5.4 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 39th of 87. May, July and August see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 3.67 inches, August 11, 2016. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 4.16 inches (through August 13, 2016).
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 83 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
Minnesota's 87 counties range widely in housing age; Hennepin ranks 42nd, with 60% of its homes built before 1980.
The mix runs from 36% built before 1960 to 19% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
Renters occupy 37% 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 21 nights a year in Hennepin County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (11th of 87 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 expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Hennepin County it's 75% utility gas, 21% electric, 2% propane and under 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 Hennepin County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Anoka, Carver, Sherburne and Wright get more pipe-freeze nights than Hennepin. Ramsey County has the oldest housing nearby, with 69% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Hennepin | Minnesota median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 36% | 34% | 40 of 87 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 60% | 58% | 42 of 87 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 19% | 21% | 48 of 87 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 0.3% | 3.8% | 87 of 87 |
| Vacant homes | 5.6% | 11% | 71 of 87 |
| Wood or propane heat | 1.9% | 30% | 86 of 87 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 78/yr | 89/yr | 77 of 87 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 5.4/yr | 5.3/yr | 39 of 87 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 83/yr | 86/yr | 67 of 87 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 21/yr | 13/yr | 11 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 Hennepin County: freezing from November to March, 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