Kearney County, Nebraska · Minden
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Kearney County averages 55 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 46% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 5 times a year here, most often in May. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Kearney County gets about 5 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 111 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
8% of occupied homes in Kearney County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Nebraska county median of 19.4%.
With 28 muggy nights a year, mold in Kearney County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
With 2,988 homes and around 6,713 residents, Kearney County is 516 square miles of southern Nebraska. Besides Minden, the county seat, the biggest communities are Axtell, Wilcox and Heartwell. The county's median home was built in 1963.
40/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Kearney County ranks 80 of 93 Nebraska counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Kearney County ranks highest compared with other Nebraska counties.
Kearney County is milder than most of Nebraska, but not mild enough to skip winterizing. From 2015–2024 it averaged 55 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 142 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 71st of 93 counties.
The longest cold spell was straight 14 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in March 2019. The coldest night reached about -22°F on February 16, 2021. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
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.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Oct 15 and the last spring freeze around Apr 26.
Rainfall is about average for Nebraska. The county gets about 25.8 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 5 days of an inch or more (48th of 93). Those downpours cluster in April, May and June, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 4.06 inches on July 9, 2019. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 4.83 inches (through March 16, 2021).
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 111 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
79% of homes in Kearney County predate 1980, close to the Nebraska county median of 73.1%, which ranks 26th of Nebraska's 93 counties.
The mix runs from 46% built before 1960 to 11% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
Beyond water
Kearney County averages 28 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in May. 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 Kearney County it's 63% utility gas, 28% 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 Kearney County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Buffalo and Phelps get more pipe-freeze nights than Kearney. Franklin County has the oldest housing nearby, with 87% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Kearney | Nebraska median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 46% | 49% | 52 of 93 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 79% | 73% | 26 of 93 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 11% | 12% | 54 of 93 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 5% | 5% | 47 of 93 |
| Vacant homes | 5.8% | 14% | 85 of 93 |
| Wood or propane heat | 8% | 19% | 83 of 93 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 55/yr | 64/yr | 71 of 93 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 5/yr | 5.1/yr | 48 of 93 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 111/yr | 112/yr | 48 of 93 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 28/yr | 27/yr | 40 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 Kearney County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in April, May and June.
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