Tuscarawas County, Ohio · New Philadelphia
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Tuscarawas County averages 32 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 41% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 4.7 times a year here, most often in April. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in Tuscarawas County spike on heavy-rain days, about 4.7 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 87 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
10% of occupied homes in Tuscarawas County heat mainly with wood or propane, below 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
Tuscarawas County covers 568 square miles of eastern Ohio, with about 92,385 residents and 40,913 homes. The county seat is New Philadelphia, and Dover, Uhrichsville and Newcomerstown round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1971, half after.
48/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Tuscarawas County ranks 50 of 88 Ohio counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Tuscarawas County ranks highest compared with other Ohio counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Tuscarawas County sits near the middle of the state. It averaged 111 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 32 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 88 Ohio counties that's 35th.
The longest cold spell was straight 13 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in January 2018. The coldest night reached about -10°F on February 24, 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.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 29 and end around Apr 22.
Tuscarawas gets fewer downpours than most Ohio counties, but they still fill basements. Of roughly 41.4 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 4.7 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 64th of 88. April, June and September see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 2.22 inches, September 10, 2018. The worst three-day stretch dropped 3.86 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 87 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
Roughly 62% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Tuscarawas near the middle of Ohio's 88 counties.
Before 1960 is when 41% of these homes went up. Galvanized supply lines and cast iron drains were standard then, and after 60-plus years both corrode and crack, often out of sight inside a wall or under a slab.
Here 9% 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
Tuscarawas County averages 31 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in June. 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, Tuscarawas County homes break down as 64% utility gas, 23% electric, 7% propane and 3% wood. Heating equipment, cooking and electrical failures cause most home fires nationally. Even a small kitchen fire can leave soot through the whole house, because smoke follows air currents into closets, ducts and attic space.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Tuscarawas County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Carroll and Holmes get more pipe-freeze nights than Tuscarawas. Stark County has the oldest housing nearby, with 71% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Tuscarawas | Ohio median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 41% | 37% | 30 of 88 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 62% | 61% | 42 of 88 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 16% | 17% | 46 of 88 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 8.5% | 5.9% | 29 of 88 |
| Vacant homes | 5.9% | 8.4% | 69 of 88 |
| Wood or propane heat | 9.5% | 16% | 65 of 88 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 32/yr | 31/yr | 35 of 88 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 4.7/yr | 5.7/yr | 64 of 88 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 87/yr | 82/yr | 15 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 Tuscarawas County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in April, June 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