Hoke County, North Carolina · Raeford
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With 7% of homes built before 1960 and about 3 hard-freeze nights a year, frozen and split pipes are a leading winter risk in the county.
Basements flood here mostly in July. Hoke County averages 10.3 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Sewage backups in Hoke County spike on heavy-rain days, about 10.3 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Hoke County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 5.58 inches, and about 40 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
8% of occupied homes in Hoke County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the North Carolina county median of 11.7%.
About 103 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 53,835 people live in Hoke County, 390 square miles in central North Carolina, in roughly 20,921 homes. Raeford is the county seat; Rockfish, Five Points and Silver City are the next largest communities. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 2000.
22/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Lower Hoke County ranks 99 of 100 North Carolina counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Hoke County ranks highest compared with other North Carolina counties.
Hoke County is milder than most of North Carolina, but not mild enough to skip winterizing. From 2015–2024 it averaged 3 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 41 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 74th of 100 counties.
Expect the hardest freezes in January, inside a season that runs January. That's when an outdoor spigot left connected to a hose, or a pipe in a crawl space, is most likely to split.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Nov 18 and the last spring freeze around Mar 20.
Hoke gets fewer downpours than most North Carolina counties, but they still fill basements. About 10.3 days a year bring an inch or more (86th of 100), most often in July, out of 49.8 inches of total precipitation. On September 16, 2018, 5.58 inches fell in a single day. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 13.86 inches (through September 17, 2018).
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 40 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
22% of homes in Hoke County predate 1980, below the North Carolina county median of 41.2%, which ranks 92nd of North Carolina's 100 counties.
Since 2000 the county has added enough housing that 50% of homes are that new. Modern PEX and copper rarely fail on their own; the leaks come from connections, appliances and storms.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 28% of the county's homes. If yours is from those decades, look under the sinks and at the water heater for gray plastic pipe stamped PB, which is polybutylene and leak-prone.
Here 21% 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.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 103 times a year here, above the North Carolina county median of 88.5. 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, Hoke County homes break down as 5% utility gas, 86% electric, 8% propane and under 1% wood. Most homes here heat with gas or electricity, so cooking and electrical faults are the likelier fire sources. Even a contained kitchen fire can send soot through the ductwork to every room.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Hoke County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Hoke gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. Scotland County has the oldest housing nearby, with 47% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Hoke | North Carolina median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 6.7% | 18% | 96 of 100 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 22% | 41% | 92 of 100 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 50% | 26% | 4 of 100 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 21% | 17% | 39 of 100 |
| Vacant homes | 7.9% | 13% | 91 of 100 |
| Wood or propane heat | 8.1% | 12% | 73 of 100 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 3/yr | 5/yr | 74 of 100 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 10/yr | 12/yr | 86 of 100 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 40/yr | 57/yr | 81 of 100 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 103/yr | 89/yr | 22 of 100 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest North Carolina county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Hoke County: freezing from January, heavy rain in June, July 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