McCormick County, South Carolina · McCormick
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With 18% 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.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 12.5 times a year here, most often in December. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which McCormick County gets about 12.5 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In McCormick County, 5.27 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
12% of occupied homes in McCormick 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 109 times a year in McCormick County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
About 9,760 people live in McCormick County, 359 square miles in western South Carolina, in roughly 5,675 homes. Besides McCormick, the county seat, the biggest communities are Modoc, Mount Carmel and Willington. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1987.
56/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated McCormick County ranks 19 of 46 South Carolina counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where McCormick County ranks highest compared with other South Carolina counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in McCormick County sits near the middle of the state. It averaged 36 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 2 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 20th.
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 20 and end around Mar 15.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of South Carolina. The county gets about 48.1 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 12.5 days of an inch or more (16th of 46). Those downpours cluster in January, May and December, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 5.27 inches on September 27, 2024. The worst three-day stretch dropped 6.94 inches, ending September 28, 2024, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 36 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
South Carolina's 46 counties range widely in housing age; McCormick ranks 12th, with 45% of its homes built before 1980.
Older and newer homes sit side by side here: 18% predate 1960 and 28% are from 2000 or later. Corroded pipe is the typical failure in the first group, burst supply hoses in the second.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 28% 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.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 22% 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 26% 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 109 nights a year in McCormick County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (28th of 46 counties). December 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 McCormick County's occupied homes: 5% utility gas, 82% electric, 11% propane and 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 McCormick County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
McCormick gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. Greenwood County has the oldest housing nearby, with 56% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | McCormick | South Carolina median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 18% | 15% | 11 of 46 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 45% | 40% | 12 of 46 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 28% | 25% | 19 of 46 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 22% | 22% | 24 of 46 |
| Vacant homes | 26% | 16% | 4 of 46 |
| Wood or propane heat | 12% | 5.1% | 5 of 46 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 2/yr | 2/yr | 20 of 46 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 13/yr | 12/yr | 16 of 46 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 36/yr | 35/yr | 22 of 46 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 109/yr | 114/yr | 28 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 McCormick County: freezing from January, heavy rain in January, 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