Edgefield County, South Carolina · Edgefield
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With 14% of homes built before 1960 and about 2 hard-freeze nights a year, frozen and split pipes are a leading winter risk in the county.
January brings the most downpours to Edgefield County, part of 12.2 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
Sewage backups in Edgefield County spike on heavy-rain days, about 12.2 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Edgefield County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 4.42 inches, and about 31 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
10% of occupied homes in Edgefield County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the South Carolina county median of 5.1%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 112 times a year in Edgefield County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
With 11,513 homes and around 27,476 residents, Edgefield County is 501 square miles of western South Carolina. The county seat is Edgefield, and Johnston, Murphys Estates and Trenton round out the largest towns. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1988.
42/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Edgefield County ranks 33 of 46 South Carolina counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Edgefield County ranks highest compared with other South Carolina counties.
For frozen pipes, Edgefield County is a typical South Carolina county, which is still plenty. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 2 nights a year at or below 20°F (20th of 46) and 32 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
Expect the hardest freezes in January, inside a season that runs midwinter. 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 Nov 20 and the last spring freeze around Mar 15.
Rainfall is about average for South Carolina. The county gets about 47.6 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 12.2 days of an inch or more (22nd of 46). Those downpours cluster in January, April and December, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 4.42 inches on September 27, 2024. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 5.47 inches (through September 28, 2024).
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 31 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
33% of homes in Edgefield County predate 1980, below the South Carolina county median of 39.8%, which ranks 35th of South Carolina's 46 counties.
Housing age is mixed: 14% of homes are pre-1960 and 27% are 2000 or newer. Ask any plumber which era your house is from and you'll know which failures to watch for.
About 40% 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.
25% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, close to the South Carolina county median of 22%. 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 112 nights a year in Edgefield County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (26th of 46 counties). December is the wettest month. 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 Edgefield County's occupied homes: 14% utility gas, 73% electric, 9% propane and under 1% wood. Propane heat is above the South Carolina 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 Edgefield County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Edgefield gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. All of its neighbors see more heavy-rain days. Greenwood County has the oldest housing nearby, with 56% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Edgefield | South Carolina median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 14% | 15% | 29 of 46 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 33% | 40% | 35 of 46 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 27% | 25% | 22 of 46 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 25% | 22% | 18 of 46 |
| Vacant homes | 15% | 16% | 24 of 46 |
| Wood or propane heat | 9.8% | 5.1% | 9 of 46 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 2/yr | 2/yr | 20 of 46 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 12/yr | 12/yr | 22 of 46 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 31/yr | 35/yr | 29 of 46 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 112/yr | 114/yr | 26 of 46 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest South Carolina county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Edgefield County: freezing from midwinter, heavy rain in January, April and December.
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