Linn County, Missouri · Linneus
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Linn County averages 39 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 43% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 8.9 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 Linn County gets about 8.9 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 82 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
26% of occupied homes in Linn County heat mainly with wood or propane, close to the Missouri county median of 24.5%.
About 58 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 11,852 people live in Linn County, 616 square miles in northern Missouri, in roughly 5,988 homes. The county seat is Linneus, and Brookfield, Marceline and Meadville round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1964.
63/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Linn County ranks 9 of 114 Missouri counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Linn County ranks highest compared with other Missouri counties.
Linn is on the colder side of Missouri for pipes. From 2015–2024 it averaged 39 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 110 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 22nd of 114 counties.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 15 days below freezing (ending January 2018), and the low bottomed out near -15°F on January 15, 2024.
Expect the hardest freezes in January, inside a season that runs November to March. That's when an outdoor spigot left connected to a hose, or a pipe in a crawl space, is most likely to split.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Oct 24 and the last spring freeze around Apr 13.
Linn gets fewer downpours than most Missouri counties, but they still fill basements. About 8.9 days a year bring an inch or more (83rd of 114), most often in July, out of 39.4 inches of total precipitation. On June 25, 2021, 4.94 inches fell in a single day. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 6.12 inches (through June 30, 2017).
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 82 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
76% of homes in Linn County predate 1980, above the Missouri county median of 53%, which ranks 3rd of Missouri's 114 counties.
Before 1960 is when 43% of these homes went up. Galvanized supply lines and cast iron drains were standard then, and after 60-plus years both corrode and crack, often out of sight inside a wall or under a slab.
With 20% 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.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 58 times a year here, below the Missouri county median of 64.5. 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 expectBy main heating fuel, Linn County homes break down as 48% utility gas, 26% electric, 22% propane and 4% wood. Propane heat is more common here than in most Missouri counties. Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires nationally, and the NFPA recommends having chimneys and vents inspected every year.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Linn County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Adair, Grundy, Macon and Sullivan get more pipe-freeze nights than Linn. Its housing is the oldest in the area by share of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Linn | Missouri median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 43% | 25% | 10 of 114 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 76% | 53% | 3 of 114 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 9.7% | 21% | 112 of 114 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 6.4% | 9.8% | 90 of 114 |
| Vacant homes | 20% | 15% | 36 of 114 |
| Wood or propane heat | 26% | 25% | 57 of 114 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 39/yr | 28/yr | 22 of 114 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 8.9/yr | 10/yr | 83 of 114 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 82/yr | 77/yr | 32 of 114 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 58/yr | 65/yr | 78 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 Linn County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in June, 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