Schoharie County, New York · Schoharie
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Schoharie County averages 66 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to April, and 38% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 6.4 times a year here, most often in October. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in Schoharie County spike on heavy-rain days, about 6.4 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 110 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
29% of occupied homes in Schoharie County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the New York county median of 19%.
About 3 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 16,562 homes and around 30,049 residents, Schoharie County is 622 square miles of eastern New York. Schoharie is the county seat; Cobleskill, Middleburgh and Richmondville are the next largest communities. Half the homes here were built before 1974, half after.
44/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Schoharie County ranks 40 of 57 New York counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Schoharie County ranks highest compared with other New York counties.
Schoharie County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of New York. From 2015–2024 it averaged 66 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 154 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 12th of 57 counties.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 28 days below freezing (ending February 2015), and the low bottomed out near -17°F on February 15, 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.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 14 and end around May 9.
Rainfall is about average for New York. The county gets about 41.5 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 6.4 days of an inch or more (27th of 57). Those downpours cluster in August, September and October, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 2.61 inches on August 5, 2020. The worst three-day stretch dropped 3.6 inches, ending October 27, 2021, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
About 110 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 59% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Schoharie among the newer housing stocks of New York's 57 counties.
The mix runs from 38% built before 1960 to 16% 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.
12% 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.
The Census counted 22% of homes as vacant, above the New York county median of 13.9%. Empty houses are where a small leak turns into a large claim, because nobody is there to hear it.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 3 times a year here, below the New York county median of 12. 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 expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Schoharie County it's 6% utility gas, 21% electric, 16% propane and 13% wood. Wood heat is more common here than in most New York counties. Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires nationally, and the NFPA recommends having chimneys and vents inspected every year.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Schoharie County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Otsego gets more pipe-freeze nights than Schoharie. All of its neighbors see more heavy-rain days. Montgomery County has the oldest housing nearby, with 78% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Schoharie | New York median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 38% | 45% | 46 of 57 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 59% | 67% | 49 of 57 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 16% | 13% | 11 of 57 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 12% | 7.6% | 10 of 57 |
| Vacant homes | 22% | 14% | 14 of 57 |
| Wood or propane heat | 29% | 19% | 8 of 57 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 66/yr | 55/yr | 12 of 57 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 6.4/yr | 6/yr | 27 of 57 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 110/yr | 101/yr | 2 of 57 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 3/yr | 12/yr | 52 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 Schoharie 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