Stephens County, Oklahoma · Duncan
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Pipes freeze in Stephens County on about 9 nights a year, mostly December to February. Older homes, 27% of the stock here, are most at risk.
May brings the most downpours to Stephens County, part of 11.4 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
27% 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.
Stephens County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 4.64 inches, and about 55 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
7% of occupied homes in Stephens County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Oklahoma county median of 12.5%.
About 106 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 20,323 homes and around 43,551 residents, Stephens County is 870 square miles of southern Oklahoma. Duncan is the county seat; Marlow, Comanche and Central High are the next largest communities. Half the homes here were built before 1975, half after.
50/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Stephens County ranks 45 of 77 Oklahoma counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Stephens County ranks highest compared with other Oklahoma counties.
Winters here are on the gentler end for Oklahoma, and pipes still freeze. From 2015–2024 it averaged 9 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 59 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 58th of 77 counties.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 10 days below freezing (ending February 2021), and the low bottomed out near -7°F on February 16, 2021.
Most freezing nights fall from December to February, 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 Nov 8 and end around Mar 21.
Rainfall is about average for Oklahoma. Of roughly 38.7 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 11.4 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 34th of 77. May, June and September see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 4.64 inches, September 22, 2018. The worst three-day stretch dropped 5.41 inches, ending September 23, 2018, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 55 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
Roughly 60% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Stephens among the oldest housing stocks of Oklahoma's 77 counties.
The mix runs from 27% built before 1960 to 15% 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.
8% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, below the Oklahoma county median of 12.3%. 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
About 106 nights a year in Stephens County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (17th of 77 counties). May is the wettest month. 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, Stephens County homes break down as 46% utility gas, 44% electric, 6% propane and 2% wood. Fires here are likelier to start in the kitchen or the wiring than in the furnace. After any fire, keep the HVAC off until ducts are checked, or soot will travel through the house.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Stephens County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Comanche, Garvin and Grady get more pipe-freeze nights than Stephens. Jefferson County has the oldest housing nearby, with 76% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Stephens | Oklahoma median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 27% | 24% | 33 of 77 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 60% | 55% | 25 of 77 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 15% | 22% | 56 of 77 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 8.4% | 12% | 61 of 77 |
| Vacant homes | 14% | 17% | 56 of 77 |
| Wood or propane heat | 7.3% | 13% | 62 of 77 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 9/yr | 13/yr | 58 of 77 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 11/yr | 11/yr | 34 of 77 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 55/yr | 65/yr | 58 of 77 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 106/yr | 98/yr | 17 of 77 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Oklahoma county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Stephens County: freezing from December to February, heavy rain in May, 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