Cortland County, New York · Cortland
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Cortland County averages 62 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to April, and 49% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 5.3 times a year here, most often in October. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
49% of homes here predate 1960, when clay and cast iron sewer laterals were standard. Roots and cracks in those lines are a common cause of backups.
In Cortland County, 3.09 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
20% of occupied homes in Cortland County heat mainly with wood or propane, close to the New York county median of 19%.
About 7 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 46,246 people live in Cortland County, 499 square miles in central New York, in roughly 20,841 homes. Cortland is the county seat; Homer, Munsons Corners and Cortland West are the next largest communities. The county's median home was built in 1961.
57/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Cortland County ranks 12 of 57 New York counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Cortland County ranks highest compared with other New York counties.
Cortland is on the colder side of New York for pipes. It averaged 151 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 62 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 57 New York counties that's 17th.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 23 days below freezing (ending March 2015), and the low bottomed out near -19°F on February 14, 2016.
The freeze season here runs November to April, with January the coldest. If you travel then, leave the thermostat at 55°F or above and open sink cabinets on outside walls.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Oct 16 and the last spring freeze around May 10.
Rainfall is about average for New York. Of roughly 45.4 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 5.3 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 31st of 57. August, September and October see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 3.09 inches, October 30, 2017. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 4.24 inches (through August 19, 2021).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 99 days a year. Each cycle melts and refreezes water at roof edges and in foundation cracks, which is how ice dams and basement seepage get started.
Housing
Roughly 74% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Cortland among the oldest housing stocks of New York's 57 counties.
49% were built before 1960. Homes from that era often still have galvanized steel supply pipe, which rusts from the inside until it pinholes, and cast iron drains that crack with age. Slow leaks behind walls are a common start to water damage in these houses.
Here 8% 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.
Renters occupy 34% 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
Cortland County averages 7 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in October. Keep indoor humidity under 60%, as the EPA advises, and dry any leak within 24 to 48 hours; in a humid month a wet basement left alone won't dry by itself.
Mold remediation: what to expectMain heating fuel in Cortland County's occupied homes: 45% utility gas, 18% electric, 12% propane and 8% wood. Wood heat is more common here than the state median. Have chimneys swept and fuel-burning appliances serviced each fall, and keep three feet clear around stoves and space heaters.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Cortland County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Cortland gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. Broome County has the oldest housing nearby, with 79% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Cortland | New York median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 49% | 45% | 20 of 57 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 74% | 67% | 13 of 57 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 8.2% | 13% | 55 of 57 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 7.6% | 7.6% | 28 of 57 |
| Vacant homes | 8.8% | 14% | 43 of 57 |
| Wood or propane heat | 20% | 19% | 29 of 57 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 62/yr | 55/yr | 17 of 57 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 5.3/yr | 6/yr | 31 of 57 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 99/yr | 101/yr | 31 of 57 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 7/yr | 12/yr | 41 of 57 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest New York county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Cortland County: freezing from November to April, heavy rain in August, September and October.
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