Perry County, Ohio · New Lexington
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With 35% of homes built before 1960 and about 29 hard-freeze nights a year, frozen and split pipes are a leading winter risk in the county.
March brings the most downpours to Perry County, part of 6.8 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
35% 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.
Perry County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 2.56 inches, and about 84 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
17% of occupied homes in Perry County heat mainly with wood or propane, close to the Ohio county median of 15.9%.
About 31 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 35,535 people live in Perry County, 408 square miles in southern Ohio, in roughly 15,044 homes. The county seat is New Lexington, and Crooksville, Roseville and Thornville round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1978, half after.
48/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Perry County ranks 48 of 88 Ohio counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Perry County ranks highest compared with other Ohio counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Perry County sits near the middle of the state. From 2015–2024 it averaged 29 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 105 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 56th of 88 counties.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 14 days below freezing (ending January 2018), and the low bottomed out near -11°F on February 25, 2015.
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.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 26 and end around Apr 21.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Ohio. The county gets about 44.6 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 6.8 days of an inch or more (20th of 88). Those downpours cluster in March, April and June, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 2.56 inches on June 23, 2016. The worst three-day stretch dropped 3.99 inches, ending September 10, 2018, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 84 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
52% of homes in Perry County predate 1980, below the Ohio county median of 61.1%, which ranks 68th of Ohio's 88 counties.
Since 2000 the county has added enough housing that 22% 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 26% 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.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 16% of the housing here. Water lines in the underbelly depend on intact skirting and working heat tape, and they're usually the first to freeze in a cold snap.
With 11% 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
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 31 times a year here, below the Ohio county median of 35. 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 expectMain heating fuel in Perry County's occupied homes: 48% utility gas, 31% electric, 13% propane and 4% wood. Wood heat is more common here than in most Ohio 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 Perry County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Licking gets more pipe-freeze nights than Perry. It also has the most heavy-rain days in its area. Muskingum County has the oldest housing nearby, with 61% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Perry | Ohio median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 35% | 37% | 47 of 88 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 52% | 61% | 68 of 88 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 22% | 17% | 22 of 88 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 16% | 5.9% | 10 of 88 |
| Vacant homes | 11% | 8.4% | 25 of 88 |
| Wood or propane heat | 17% | 16% | 43 of 88 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 29/yr | 31/yr | 56 of 88 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 6.8/yr | 5.7/yr | 20 of 88 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 84/yr | 82/yr | 31 of 88 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 31/yr | 35/yr | 59 of 88 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Ohio county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Perry County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in March, April 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