Venango County, Pennsylvania · Franklin
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Pipes freeze in Venango County on about 44 nights a year, mostly November to March. Older homes, 51% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Basements flood here mostly in June. Venango County averages 5.6 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
51% 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.
Venango County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 2.7 inches, and about 99 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
16% of occupied homes in Venango County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Pennsylvania county median of 10%.
With 12 muggy nights a year, mold in Venango County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
Venango County covers 674 square miles of western Pennsylvania, with about 49,801 residents and 26,244 homes. The county seat is Franklin, and Oil City, Sugarcreek and Woodland Heights round out the largest towns. It has some of the oldest housing in the state: the median home went up in 1959.
51/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Venango County ranks 31 of 67 Pennsylvania counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Venango County ranks highest compared with other Pennsylvania counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Venango County sits near the middle of the state. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 44 nights a year at or below 20°F (25th of 67) and 132 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 17 days below freezing (ending March 2015), and the low bottomed out near -19°F on February 20, 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 22 and end around May 6.
Venango gets fewer downpours than most Pennsylvania counties, but they still fill basements. Of roughly 47.6 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 5.6 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 58th of 67. April, June and September see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 2.7 inches, September 10, 2018. The worst three-day stretch dropped 3.42 inches, ending September 11, 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 99 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 74% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Venango among the oldest housing stocks of Pennsylvania's 67 counties.
51% were built before 1960. Homes from that era often still have galvanized steel supply pipe, which rusts from the inside until it pinholes, and cast iron drains that crack with age. Slow leaks behind walls are a common start to water damage in these houses.
Here 10% 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.
19% 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
About 12 nights a year in Venango County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (43rd of 67 counties). June 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 expectMain heating fuel in Venango County's occupied homes: 68% utility gas, 10% electric, 11% propane and 6% 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 Venango County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Clarion, Forest and Warren get more pipe-freeze nights than Venango. Warren County has the oldest housing nearby, with 76% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Venango | Pennsylvania median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 51% | 42% | 13 of 67 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 74% | 66% | 18 of 67 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 12% | 13% | 43 of 67 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 10% | 6.6% | 16 of 67 |
| Vacant homes | 19% | 12% | 17 of 67 |
| Wood or propane heat | 16% | 10% | 21 of 67 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 44/yr | 37/yr | 25 of 67 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 5.6/yr | 7/yr | 58 of 67 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 99/yr | 98/yr | 32 of 67 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 12/yr | 16/yr | 43 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 Venango 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