Newberry County, South Carolina · Newberry
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Newberry County averages 3 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly January, and 27% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 12.7 times a year here, most often in December. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in Newberry County spike on heavy-rain days, about 12.7 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 44 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
6% of occupied homes in Newberry County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the South Carolina county median of 5.1%.
With 103 muggy nights a year, mold in Newberry County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
With 18,558 homes and around 38,435 residents, Newberry County is 630 square miles of northern South Carolina. Newberry is the county seat; Whitmire, Prosperity and Helena are the next largest communities. Half the homes here were built before 1981, half after.
74/100 Water Damage Risk Index: High Newberry County ranks 1 of 46 South Carolina counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Newberry County ranks highest compared with other South Carolina counties.
Newberry County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of South Carolina. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 3 nights a year at or below 20°F (7th of 46) and 44 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
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 11 and end around Mar 22.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of South Carolina. The county gets about 48.6 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 12.7 days of an inch or more (13th of 46). Those downpours cluster in January, April and December, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 5.63 inches on October 4, 2015. The worst three-day stretch dropped 9.06 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
49% of homes in Newberry County predate 1980, above the South Carolina county median of 39.8%, which ranks 8th of South Carolina's 46 counties.
Before 1960 is when 27% of these homes went up. Galvanized supply lines and cast iron drains were standard then, and after 60-plus years both corrode and crack, often out of sight inside a wall or under a slab.
29% date from 1980 to 1999, the window when polybutylene, a gray flexible plastic supply pipe, was used in some homes. It's prone to leaks at the fittings, so it's worth checking for in a house from those years.
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.
Beyond water
Newberry County averages 103 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in December. 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 expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Newberry County it's 26% utility gas, 66% electric, 5% propane and under 1% 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 Newberry County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Newberry gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. It also has the most heavy-rain days in its area. Union County has the oldest housing nearby, with 64% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Newberry | South Carolina median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 27% | 15% | 2 of 46 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 49% | 40% | 8 of 46 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 22% | 25% | 31 of 46 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 22% | 22% | 24 of 46 |
| Vacant homes | 17% | 16% | 16 of 46 |
| Wood or propane heat | 5.9% | 5.1% | 22 of 46 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 3/yr | 2/yr | 7 of 46 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 13/yr | 12/yr | 13 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 Newberry County: freezing from January, 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