Fairfield County, South Carolina · Winnsboro
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Fairfield County averages 3 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly January, and 16% of its homes predate 1960.
December brings the most downpours to Fairfield County, part of 11.4 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Fairfield County gets about 11.4 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Fairfield County, 5.05 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
16% of occupied homes in Fairfield County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the South Carolina county median of 5.1%.
About 103 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
Fairfield County covers 686 square miles of northern South Carolina, with about 20,550 residents and 11,003 homes. Winnsboro is the county seat; Winnsboro Mills, Ridgeway and Jenkinsville are the next largest communities. Half the homes here were built before 1984, half after.
54/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Fairfield County ranks 22 of 46 South Carolina counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Fairfield County ranks highest compared with other South Carolina counties.
Fairfield County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of South Carolina. It averaged 44 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 3 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 46 South Carolina counties that's 7th.
Most freezing nights fall from January, 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 10 and end around Mar 21.
Rainfall is about average for South Carolina. About 11.4 days a year bring an inch or more (28th of 46), most often in December, out of 47 inches of total precipitation. On September 27, 2024, 5.05 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 9.15 inches, ending October 5, 2015, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 44 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
South Carolina's 46 counties range widely in housing age; Fairfield ranks 19th, with 42% of its homes built before 1980.
The mix runs from 16% built before 1960 to 21% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
About 37% 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.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 23% of the housing here. Water lines in the underbelly depend on intact skirting and working heat tape, and they're usually the first to freeze in a cold snap.
With 19% of homes empty at survey time, landlords and seasonal owners should shut off the main or schedule checks in winter. An unheated vacant house is also where many policies limit freeze coverage.
Beyond water
About 103 nights a year in Fairfield County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (34th 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 expectBy main heating fuel, Fairfield County homes break down as 13% utility gas, 68% electric, 12% propane and 4% wood. Wood and propane heat are more common here than the state median. Have chimneys swept and fuel-burning appliances serviced each fall, and keep three feet clear around stoves and space heaters.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Fairfield County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Lancaster gets more pipe-freeze nights than Fairfield. Union County has the oldest housing nearby, with 64% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Fairfield | South Carolina median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 16% | 15% | 18 of 46 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 42% | 40% | 19 of 46 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 21% | 25% | 34 of 46 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 23% | 22% | 21 of 46 |
| Vacant homes | 19% | 16% | 11 of 46 |
| Wood or propane heat | 16% | 5.1% | 1 of 46 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 3/yr | 2/yr | 7 of 46 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 11/yr | 12/yr | 28 of 46 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 44/yr | 35/yr | 11 of 46 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 103/yr | 114/yr | 34 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 Fairfield County: freezing from January, heavy rain in April, May 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