Pickaway County, Ohio · Circleville
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Pipes freeze in Pickaway County on about 26 nights a year, mostly November to March. Older homes, 29% of the stock here, are most at risk.
February brings the most downpours to Pickaway County, part of 5.5 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
Sewage backups in Pickaway County spike on heavy-rain days, about 5.5 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Pickaway County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 2.52 inches, and about 80 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
18% of occupied homes in Pickaway County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Ohio county median of 15.9%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 44 times a year in Pickaway County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
About 60,131 people live in Pickaway County, 501 square miles in southern Ohio, in roughly 22,981 homes. The county seat is Circleville, and Ashville, South Bloomfield and Commercial Point round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1978.
34/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Pickaway County ranks 83 of 88 Ohio counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Pickaway County ranks highest compared with other Ohio counties.
Pickaway County is milder than most of Ohio, but not mild enough to skip winterizing. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 26 nights a year at or below 20°F (75th of 88) and 99 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
The longest cold spell was straight 13 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in January 2018. The coldest night reached about -11°F on February 25, 2015. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
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.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Oct 28 and the last spring freeze around Apr 19.
Rainfall is about average for Ohio. Of roughly 42.5 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 5.5 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 51st of 88. February, March and June see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 2.52 inches, November 6, 2017. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 3.4 inches (through September 10, 2018).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 80 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
52% of homes in Pickaway County predate 1980, below the Ohio county median of 61.1%, which ranks 69th of Ohio's 88 counties.
Since 2000 the county has added enough housing that 26% of homes are that new. Modern PEX and copper rarely fail on their own; the leaks come from connections, appliances and storms.
22% date from 1980 to 1999, the window when polybutylene, a gray flexible plastic supply pipe, was used in some homes. It's prone to leaks at the fittings, so it's worth checking for in a house from those years.
7% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, above the Ohio county median of 5.9%. 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.
Beyond water
Pickaway County averages 44 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in June. 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 expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Pickaway County it's 50% utility gas, 27% electric, 17% propane and 1% wood. Propane 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 Pickaway County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Hocking and Madison get more pipe-freeze nights than Pickaway. All of its neighbors see more heavy-rain days. Fayette County has the oldest housing nearby, with 66% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Pickaway | Ohio median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 29% | 37% | 68 of 88 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 52% | 61% | 69 of 88 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 26% | 17% | 10 of 88 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 7.2% | 5.9% | 33 of 88 |
| Vacant homes | 4.7% | 8.4% | 82 of 88 |
| Wood or propane heat | 18% | 16% | 39 of 88 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 26/yr | 31/yr | 75 of 88 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 5.5/yr | 5.7/yr | 51 of 88 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 80/yr | 82/yr | 55 of 88 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 44/yr | 35/yr | 12 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 Pickaway County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in February, March 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