Hinds County, Mississippi · Jackson
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With 25% of homes built before 1960 and about 2 hard-freeze nights a year, frozen and split pipes are a leading winter risk in the county.
April brings the most downpours to Hinds County, part of 16.8 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
25% of homes here predate 1960, when clay and cast iron sewer laterals were standard. Roots and cracks in those lines are a common cause of backups.
Hinds County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 5.41 inches, and about 25 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
5% of occupied homes in Hinds County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Mississippi county median of 15.1%.
About 135 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 218,533 people live in Hinds County, 870 square miles in western Mississippi, in roughly 106,340 homes. The county seat is Jackson, and Clinton, Byram and Raymond round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1974, half after.
64/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Hinds County ranks 11 of 82 Mississippi counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Hinds County ranks highest compared with other Mississippi counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Hinds County sits near the middle of the state. It averaged 26 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 2 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 82 Mississippi counties that's 47th.
Most freezing nights fall from midwinter, 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 Nov 17 and end around Feb 23.
Rainfall is about average for Mississippi. Of roughly 60.9 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 16.8 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 29th of 82. January, February and April see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 5.41 inches, April 3, 2017. The worst three-day stretch dropped 8.7 inches, ending August 25, 2022, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 25 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
Mississippi's 82 counties range widely in housing age; Hinds ranks 6th, with 62% of its homes built before 1980.
In Hinds County 25% of homes are older than 1960. If yours is one of them and the plumbing has never been replaced, expect galvanized steel supply pipe and cast iron drain lines, the two materials most likely to fail quietly.
Renters occupy 42% 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 135 nights a year in Hinds County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (19th of 82 counties). April 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 Hinds County it's 42% utility gas, 52% electric, 5% propane and under 1% 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 Hinds County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Madison and Rankin get more pipe-freeze nights than Hinds. Its housing is the oldest in the area by share of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Hinds | Mississippi median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 25% | 15% | 5 of 82 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 62% | 45% | 6 of 82 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 17% | 23% | 69 of 82 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 4% | 20% | 81 of 82 |
| Vacant homes | 16% | 17% | 48 of 82 |
| Wood or propane heat | 5.1% | 15% | 76 of 82 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 2/yr | 3/yr | 47 of 82 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 17/yr | 16/yr | 29 of 82 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 25/yr | 32/yr | 54 of 82 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 135/yr | 125/yr | 19 of 82 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Mississippi county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Hinds County: freezing from midwinter, heavy rain in January, February and April.
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