Delaware County, New York · Delhi
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Delaware County averages 65 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to April, and 40% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 7.7 times a year here, most often in August. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
40% 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 Delaware County, 3.62 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
31% of occupied homes in Delaware County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the New York county median of 19%.
About 2 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 30,057 homes and around 44,487 residents, Delaware County is 1,443 square miles of eastern New York. The county seat is Delhi, and Sidney, Walton and Deposit round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1972.
52/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Delaware County ranks 27 of 57 New York counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Delaware County ranks highest compared with other New York counties.
Delaware is on the colder side of New York for pipes. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 65 nights a year at or below 20°F (13th of 57) and 158 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 14 days below freezing (ending February 2015), and the low bottomed out near -18°F on February 24, 2015.
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 14 and the last spring freeze around May 13.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of New York. About 7.7 days a year bring an inch or more (12th of 57), most often in August, out of 47.1 inches of total precipitation. On August 5, 2020, 3.62 inches fell in a single day. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 4.03 inches (through August 7, 2020).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 110 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
New York's 57 counties range widely in housing age; Delaware ranks 46th, with 61% of its homes built before 1980.
The mix runs from 40% built before 1960 to 14% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
About 26% 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.
13% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, above the New York county median of 7.6%. Their water lines run under the floor behind the skirting, so a torn skirt or failed heat tape freezes them faster than lines in a site-built house.
With 36% of homes empty at survey time, landlords and seasonal owners should shut off the main or schedule checks in winter. An unheated vacant house is also where many policies limit freeze coverage.
Beyond water
About 2 nights a year in Delaware County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (55th of 57 counties). August is the wettest month. 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, Delaware County homes break down as 12% utility gas, 14% electric, 17% propane and 14% wood. Wood and propane heat are above the New York 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 Delaware County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Otsego and Schoharie get more pipe-freeze nights than Delaware. Broome County has the oldest housing nearby, with 79% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Delaware | New York median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 40% | 45% | 42 of 57 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 61% | 67% | 46 of 57 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 14% | 13% | 24 of 57 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 13% | 7.6% | 7 of 57 |
| Vacant homes | 36% | 14% | 3 of 57 |
| Wood or propane heat | 31% | 19% | 5 of 57 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 65/yr | 55/yr | 13 of 57 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 7.7/yr | 6/yr | 12 of 57 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 110/yr | 101/yr | 2 of 57 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 2/yr | 12/yr | 55 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 Delaware County: freezing from November to April, heavy rain in April, August 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