Worth County, Missouri · Grant City
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Worth County averages 49 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 49% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 8.2 times a year here, most often in July. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in Worth County spike on heavy-rain days, about 8.2 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 88 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
40% of occupied homes in Worth County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Missouri county median of 24.5%.
About 46 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
With 1,116 homes and around 1,934 residents, Worth County is 267 square miles of northwest Missouri. Grant City is the county seat; Sheridan, Allendale and Worth are the next largest communities. Half the homes here were built before 1961, half after.
63/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Worth County ranks 11 of 114 Missouri counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Worth County ranks highest compared with other Missouri counties.
Worth County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Missouri. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 49 nights a year at or below 20°F (2nd of 114) and 121 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 16 days below freezing (ending January 2018), and the low bottomed out near -18°F on January 15, 2024.
Most freezing nights fall from November to March, 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 Oct 24 and end around Apr 15.
Worth gets fewer downpours than most Missouri counties, but they still fill basements. The county gets about 38 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 8.2 days of an inch or more (104th of 114). Those downpours cluster in July, August and September, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 3.89 inches on June 29, 2017. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.4 inches, ending June 29, 2017, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
About 88 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
Roughly 75% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Worth among the oldest housing stocks of Missouri's 114 counties.
Before 1960 is when 49% 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.
24% 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
Worth County averages 46 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in May. 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, Worth County homes break down as 21% utility gas, 35% electric, 29% propane and 11% wood. Wood and propane heat are 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 Worth County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Worth gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. All of its neighbors see more heavy-rain days. Its housing is the oldest in the area by share of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Worth | Missouri median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 49% | 25% | 2 of 114 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 75% | 53% | 5 of 114 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 14% | 21% | 98 of 114 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 6.9% | 9.8% | 84 of 114 |
| Vacant homes | 24% | 15% | 21 of 114 |
| Wood or propane heat | 40% | 25% | 19 of 114 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 49/yr | 28/yr | 2 of 114 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 8.2/yr | 10/yr | 104 of 114 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 88/yr | 77/yr | 8 of 114 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 46/yr | 65/yr | 102 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 Worth County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in July, August and September.
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