Macon County, Missouri · Macon
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Pipes freeze in Macon County on about 40 nights a year, mostly November to February. Older homes, 33% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 9 times a year here, most often in June. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in Macon County spike on heavy-rain days, about 9 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 81 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
30% of occupied homes in Macon County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Missouri county median of 24.5%.
With 55 muggy nights a year, mold in Macon County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
With 7,419 homes and around 15,163 residents, Macon County is 801 square miles of northern Missouri. Besides Macon, the county seat, the biggest communities are La Plata, Bevier and Atlanta. Half the homes here were built before 1972, half after.
57/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Macon County ranks 32 of 114 Missouri counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Macon County ranks highest compared with other Missouri counties.
Macon County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Missouri. It averaged 107 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 40 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 21st.
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 -16°F on January 15, 2024.
Expect the hardest freezes in January, inside a season that runs November to February. That's when an outdoor spigot left connected to a hose, or a pipe in a crawl space, is most likely to split.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 24 and end around Apr 12.
Macon gets fewer downpours than most Missouri counties, but they still fill basements. About 9 days a year bring an inch or more (79th of 114), most often in June, out of 39.8 inches of total precipitation. On July 3, 2024, 3.47 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.65 inches, ending June 24, 2019, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
About 81 days a year swing from below freezing at night to above freezing by day. Those freeze-thaw cycles feed ice dams on roofs, open cracks in foundations and driveways, and stress pipes that are already marginal.
Housing
Missouri's 114 counties range widely in housing age; Macon ranks 32nd, with 62% of its homes built before 1980.
Before 1960 is when 33% 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.
Here 9% of housing is manufactured homes. Check the skirting and the heat tape on the main water line every fall, because that one exposed line is what freezes.
18% 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.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 55 times a year here, below 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 expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Macon County it's 30% utility gas, 38% electric, 24% propane and 6% wood. Propane heat is above the Missouri norm. Annual chimney and vent inspection, which the NFPA recommends, is one of the most effective fire-prevention habits for these homes.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Macon County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Adair, Knox and Shelby get more pipe-freeze nights than Macon. It also has the most heavy-rain days in its area. Linn County has the oldest housing nearby, with 76% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Macon | Missouri median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 33% | 25% | 35 of 114 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 62% | 53% | 32 of 114 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 18% | 21% | 78 of 114 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 8.5% | 9.8% | 74 of 114 |
| Vacant homes | 18% | 15% | 43 of 114 |
| Wood or propane heat | 30% | 25% | 44 of 114 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 40/yr | 28/yr | 21 of 114 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 9/yr | 10/yr | 79 of 114 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 81/yr | 77/yr | 35 of 114 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 55/yr | 65/yr | 85 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 Macon County: freezing from November to February, 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