Pike County, Mississippi · Magnolia
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Pike County averages 2 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly midwinter, and 18% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 17.7 times a year here, most often in April. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Pike County gets about 17.7 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 22 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
8% of occupied homes in Pike County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Mississippi county median of 15.1%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 138 times a year in Pike County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
About 39,602 people live in Pike County, 409 square miles in southwest Mississippi, in roughly 19,200 homes. The county seat is Magnolia, and McComb, Summit and Osyka round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1984.
64/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Pike County ranks 12 of 82 Mississippi counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Pike County ranks highest compared with other Mississippi counties.
For frozen pipes, Pike County is a typical Mississippi county, which is still plenty. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 2 nights a year at or below 20°F (47th of 82) and 22 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
With only about 22 freezing nights a year, many homes here aren't built for cold, so a single arctic outbreak can burst pipes across the county. The record low in this data was about 13°F, on January 17, 2018.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Mississippi. The county gets about 64.8 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 17.7 days of an inch or more (15th of 82). Those downpours cluster in January, April and May, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 9.04 inches on March 11, 2016. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 10.69 inches (through October 27, 2015).
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 22 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
Mississippi's 82 counties range widely in housing age; Pike ranks 53rd, with 43% of its homes built before 1980.
Since 2000 the county has added enough housing that 27% of homes are that new. Modern PEX and copper rarely fail on their own; the leaks come from connections, appliances and storms.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 30% of the county's homes. If yours is from those decades, look under the sinks and at the water heater for gray plastic pipe stamped PB, which is polybutylene and leak-prone.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 26% of the housing here. Water lines in the underbelly depend on intact skirting and working heat tape, and they're usually the first to freeze in a cold snap.
22% of homes were vacant at survey time. A leak in an empty rental or seasonal house can run for days before anyone notices, which is why those losses tend to be larger.
Renters occupy 33% 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 138 times a year here, above the Mississippi county median of 125. 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 Pike County's occupied homes: 21% utility gas, 71% electric, 7% propane and under 1% 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 Pike County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Pike gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. Walthall County has the oldest housing nearby, with 47% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Pike | Mississippi median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 18% | 15% | 20 of 82 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 43% | 45% | 53 of 82 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 27% | 23% | 27 of 82 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 26% | 20% | 22 of 82 |
| Vacant homes | 22% | 17% | 15 of 82 |
| Wood or propane heat | 7.6% | 15% | 68 of 82 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 2/yr | 3/yr | 47 of 82 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 18/yr | 16/yr | 15 of 82 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 22/yr | 32/yr | 68 of 82 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 138/yr | 125/yr | 10 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 Pike County: freezing from midwinter, heavy rain in January, April and May.
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