Dakota County, Nebraska · Dakota City
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Dakota County averages 69 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 32% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 5.4 times a year here, most often in August. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in Dakota County spike on heavy-rain days, about 5.4 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 102 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
8% of occupied homes in Dakota County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Nebraska county median of 19.4%.
About 31 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
Dakota County covers 264 square miles of northeast Nebraska, with about 21,354 residents and 7,808 homes. The county seat is Dakota City, and South Sioux City, Homer and Jackson round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1974, half after.
48/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Dakota County ranks 53 of 93 Nebraska counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Dakota County ranks highest compared with other Nebraska counties.
Dakota County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Nebraska. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 69 nights a year at or below 20°F (31st of 93) and 147 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
On February 16, 2021 the low fell to about -29°F, and in the stretch ending March 2019 the county went 32 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
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.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 16 and end around Apr 22.
Rainfall is about average for Nebraska. About 5.4 days a year bring an inch or more (32nd of 93), most often in August, out of 27.8 inches of total precipitation. On September 5, 2018, 2.48 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 3.29 inches, ending September 25, 2015, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 102 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
Roughly 62% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Dakota among the newer housing stocks of Nebraska's 93 counties.
The mix runs from 32% built before 1960 to 13% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
About 25% of homes went up between 1980 and 1999. Some houses from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s were plumbed with polybutylene, a gray plastic pipe known for failing at fittings. A plumber can tell you in a few minutes whether you have it.
Renters occupy 36% 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
About 31 nights a year in Dakota County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (36th of 93 counties). May is the wettest month. 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, Dakota County homes break down as 46% utility gas, 45% electric, 8% 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 Dakota County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Dixon gets more pipe-freeze nights than Dakota. All of its neighbors see more heavy-rain days. Dixon County has the oldest housing nearby, with 81% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Dakota | Nebraska median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 32% | 49% | 84 of 93 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 62% | 73% | 81 of 93 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 13% | 12% | 40 of 93 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 6.3% | 5% | 32 of 93 |
| Vacant homes | 4.5% | 14% | 89 of 93 |
| Wood or propane heat | 8.1% | 19% | 82 of 93 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 69/yr | 64/yr | 31 of 93 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 5.4/yr | 5.1/yr | 32 of 93 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 102/yr | 112/yr | 64 of 93 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 31/yr | 27/yr | 36 of 93 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Nebraska county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Dakota County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in May, 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