Polk County, Minnesota · Crookston
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Polk County averages 112 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to April, and 37% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 3.2 times a year here, most often in July. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Polk County gets about 3.2 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Polk County, 2.57 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 Polk County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Minnesota county median of 30%.
With 5 muggy nights a year, mold in Polk County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
With 14,697 homes and around 30,705 residents, Polk County is 1,971 square miles of northwest Minnesota. Besides Crookston, the county seat, the biggest communities are East Grand Forks, Fosston and McIntosh. Half the homes here were built before 1971, half after.
50/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Polk County ranks 44 of 87 Minnesota counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Polk County ranks highest compared with other Minnesota counties.
Polk County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Minnesota. From 2015–2024 it averaged 112 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 178 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 14th of 87 counties.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 63 days below freezing (ending March 2019), and the low bottomed out near -37°F on January 30, 2019.
The freeze season here runs November to April, with December the coldest. If you travel then, leave the thermostat at 55°F or above and open sink cabinets on outside walls.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 5 and end around May 8.
Polk gets fewer downpours than most Minnesota counties, but they still fill basements. About 3.2 days a year bring an inch or more (74th of 87), most often in July, out of 21.9 inches of total precipitation. On September 21, 2019, 2.57 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 3.06 inches, ending June 9, 2020, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 81 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
Minnesota's 87 counties range widely in housing age; Polk ranks 33rd, with 66% of its homes built before 1980.
The mix runs from 37% built before 1960 to 16% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
With 16% of homes empty at survey time, landlords and seasonal owners should shut off the main or schedule checks in winter. An unheated vacant house is also where many policies limit freeze coverage.
Renters occupy 29% 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 5 times a year here, below 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 expectBy main heating fuel, Polk County homes break down as 42% utility gas, 26% electric, 23% propane and 2% wood. Heating equipment, cooking and electrical failures cause most home fires nationally. Even a small kitchen fire can leave soot through the whole house, because smoke follows air currents into closets, ducts and attic space.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Polk County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Every neighboring county gets more pipe-freeze nights than Polk. Red Lake County has the oldest housing nearby, with 69% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Polk | Minnesota median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 37% | 34% | 37 of 87 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 66% | 58% | 33 of 87 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 16% | 21% | 53 of 87 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 5.4% | 3.8% | 27 of 87 |
| Vacant homes | 16% | 11% | 29 of 87 |
| Wood or propane heat | 25% | 30% | 53 of 87 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 112/yr | 89/yr | 14 of 87 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 3.2/yr | 5.3/yr | 74 of 87 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 81/yr | 86/yr | 80 of 87 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 5/yr | 13/yr | 66 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 Polk County: freezing from November to April, heavy rain in July, August 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