Pike County, Pennsylvania · Milford
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Pike County averages 52 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 15% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 10.5 times a year here, most often in August. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Pike County gets about 10.5 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 112 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
27% of occupied homes in Pike County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Pennsylvania county median of 10%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 9 times a year in Pike County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
About 60,621 people live in Pike County, 545 square miles in eastern Pennsylvania, in roughly 40,177 homes. The county seat is Milford, and Saw Creek, Hemlock Farms and Pocono Woodland Lakes round out the largest towns. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1985.
53/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Pike County ranks 28 of 67 Pennsylvania counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Pike County ranks highest compared with other Pennsylvania counties.
Pike is on the colder side of Pennsylvania for pipes. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 52 nights a year at or below 20°F (7th of 67) and 141 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
On February 24, 2015 the low fell to about -15°F, and in the stretch ending January 2018 the county went 15 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
Expect the hardest freezes in January, inside a season that runs November to March. 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 Oct 20 and the last spring freeze around May 1.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Pennsylvania. The county gets about 47.8 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 10.5 days of an inch or more (7th of 67). Those downpours cluster in August, September and October, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 4.45 inches on September 2, 2021. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 4.85 inches (through September 2, 2021).
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 112 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
Pennsylvania's 67 counties range widely in housing age; Pike ranks 67th, with 37% of its homes built before 1980.
Since 2000 the county has added enough housing that 24% 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 39% 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.
40% of homes were vacant at survey time. A leak in an empty rental or seasonal house can run for days before anyone notices, which is why those losses tend to be larger.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 9 times a year here, below the Pennsylvania county median of 16. 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 expectMain heating fuel in Pike County's occupied homes: 13% utility gas, 38% electric, 22% propane and 5% wood. Wood and propane heat are above the Pennsylvania norm. Annual chimney and vent inspection, which the NFPA recommends, is one of the most effective fire-prevention habits for these homes.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Pike County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Wayne gets more pipe-freeze nights than Pike. Wayne County has the oldest housing nearby, with 50% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Pike | Pennsylvania median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 15% | 42% | 67 of 67 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 37% | 66% | 67 of 67 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 24% | 13% | 3 of 67 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 6% | 6.6% | 38 of 67 |
| Vacant homes | 40% | 12% | 5 of 67 |
| Wood or propane heat | 27% | 10% | 7 of 67 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 52/yr | 37/yr | 7 of 67 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 11/yr | 7/yr | 7 of 67 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 112/yr | 98/yr | 1 of 67 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 9/yr | 16/yr | 51 of 67 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Pennsylvania county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Pike County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in August, September and October.
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