Johnson County, Missouri · Warrensburg
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With 17% of homes built before 1960 and about 29 hard-freeze nights a year, frozen and split pipes are a leading winter risk in the county.
June brings the most downpours to Johnson County, part of 10.3 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
Sewage backups in Johnson County spike on heavy-rain days, about 10.3 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Johnson County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 4.32 inches, and about 79 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
16% of occupied homes in Johnson County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Missouri county median of 24.5%.
About 71 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
Johnson County covers 829 square miles of western Missouri, with about 54,732 residents and 22,731 homes. Besides Warrensburg, the county seat, the biggest communities are Whiteman AFB, Knob Noster and Holden. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1990.
46/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Johnson County ranks 72 of 114 Missouri counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Johnson County ranks highest compared with other Missouri counties.
For frozen pipes, Johnson County is a typical Missouri county, which is still plenty. It averaged 96 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 29 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 114 Missouri counties that's 49th.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 13 days below freezing (ending February 2021), and the low bottomed out near -11°F on February 16, 2021.
The freeze season here runs November to February, with January the coldest. If you travel then, leave the thermostat at 55°F or above and open sink cabinets on outside walls.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Oct 27 and the last spring freeze around Apr 10.
Rainfall is about average for Missouri. Of roughly 41.4 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 10.3 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 56th of 114. May, June and July see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 4.32 inches, July 3, 2016. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 6.14 inches (through August 1, 2020).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 79 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
37% of homes in Johnson County predate 1980, below the Missouri county median of 53%, which ranks 102nd of Missouri's 114 counties.
35% of homes were built in 2000 or later, more than in most of Missouri. Newer plumbing rarely corrodes, so damage here tends to come from appliance supply lines, water heaters, sump pumps and storms.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 28% 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.
7% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, below the Missouri county median of 9.8%. Their water lines run under the floor behind the skirting, so a torn skirt or failed heat tape freezes them faster than lines in a site-built house.
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
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 71 times a year here, above the Missouri county median of 64.5. 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, Johnson County homes break down as 34% utility gas, 49% electric, 13% propane and 3% 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 Johnson County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Jackson, Lafayette and Pettis get more pipe-freeze nights than Johnson. Jackson County has the oldest housing nearby, with 64% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Johnson | Missouri median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 17% | 25% | 94 of 114 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 37% | 53% | 102 of 114 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 35% | 21% | 10 of 114 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 7.1% | 9.8% | 82 of 114 |
| Vacant homes | 7.2% | 15% | 102 of 114 |
| Wood or propane heat | 16% | 25% | 83 of 114 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 29/yr | 28/yr | 49 of 114 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 10/yr | 10/yr | 56 of 114 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 79/yr | 77/yr | 44 of 114 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 71/yr | 65/yr | 27 of 114 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Missouri county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Johnson County: freezing from November to February, heavy rain in May, June and July.
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