York County, Pennsylvania · York
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Pipes freeze in York County on about 23 nights a year, mostly November to March. Older homes, 33% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Basements flood here mostly in September. York County averages 8.8 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Sewage backups in York County spike on heavy-rain days, about 8.8 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
York County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 4.5 inches, and about 88 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
10% of occupied homes in York County heat mainly with wood or propane, close to the Pennsylvania county median of 10%.
With 48 muggy nights a year, mold in York County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
About 462,924 people live in York County, 904 square miles in southeast Pennsylvania, in roughly 189,857 homes. The county seat is York, and Hanover, Weigelstown and Shiloh round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1976.
39/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate York County ranks 57 of 67 Pennsylvania counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where York County ranks highest compared with other Pennsylvania counties.
York County is milder than most of Pennsylvania, but not mild enough to skip winterizing. It averaged 101 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 23 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 67 Pennsylvania counties that's 63rd.
On January 31, 2019 the low fell to about -3°F, and in the stretch ending January 2018 the county went 14 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
The freeze season here runs November to March, with January the coldest. If you travel then, leave the thermostat at 55°F or above and open sink cabinets on outside walls.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Nov 4 and the last spring freeze around Apr 15.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Pennsylvania. Of roughly 44.7 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 8.8 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 22nd of 67. July, August and September see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 4.5 inches, September 2, 2021. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 6.89 inches (through July 24, 2018).
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 88 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; York ranks 57th, with 55% of its homes built before 1980.
Since 2000 the county has added enough housing that 21% 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 25% 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.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 48 times a year here, above 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 York County's occupied homes: 51% utility gas, 24% electric, 8% propane and 3% wood. Most homes here heat with gas or electricity, so cooking and electrical faults are the likelier fire sources. Even a contained kitchen fire can send soot through the ductwork to every room.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across York County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Every neighboring county gets more pipe-freeze nights than York. Dauphin County has the oldest housing nearby, with 62% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | York | Pennsylvania median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 33% | 42% | 53 of 67 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 55% | 66% | 57 of 67 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 21% | 13% | 9 of 67 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 4.1% | 6.6% | 49 of 67 |
| Vacant homes | 4.4% | 12% | 61 of 67 |
| Wood or propane heat | 10% | 10% | 33 of 67 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 23/yr | 37/yr | 63 of 67 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 8.8/yr | 7/yr | 22 of 67 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 88/yr | 98/yr | 58 of 67 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 48/yr | 16/yr | 5 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 York County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in July, August 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