Anderson County, Tennessee · Clinton
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Anderson County averages 10 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly December to February, and 31% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 14.5 times a year here, most often in February. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in Anderson County spike on heavy-rain days, about 14.5 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 64 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
3% of occupied homes in Anderson County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Tennessee county median of 7.8%.
About 66 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
With 35,880 homes and around 79,153 residents, Anderson County is 337 square miles of northeast Tennessee. Clinton is the county seat; Oak Ridge, Rocky Top and Norris are the next largest communities. Half the homes here were built before 1977, half after.
60/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Anderson County ranks 18 of 95 Tennessee counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Anderson County ranks highest compared with other Tennessee counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Anderson County sits near the middle of the state. It averaged 69 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 10 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 95 Tennessee counties that's 56th.
On January 17, 2024 the low fell to about -2°F, and in the stretch ending February 2015 the county went 5 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
Most freezing nights fall from December to February, 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 7 and end around Apr 8.
Rainfall is about average for Tennessee. About 14.5 days a year bring an inch or more (40th of 95), most often in February, out of 59.2 inches of total precipitation. On February 6, 2020, 4.07 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 5.96 inches, ending February 7, 2020, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 64 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
Roughly 54% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Anderson among the oldest housing stocks of Tennessee's 95 counties.
31% were built before 1960. Homes from that era often still have galvanized steel supply pipe, which rusts from the inside until it pinholes, and cast iron drains that crack with age. Slow leaks behind walls are a common start to water damage in these houses.
About 27% 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.
Here 10% of housing is manufactured homes. Check the skirting and the heat tape on the main water line every fall, because that one exposed line is what freezes.
Beyond water
Anderson County averages 66 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in February. 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, Anderson County homes break down as 40% utility gas, 57% electric, 2% propane and 1% wood. Heating equipment, cooking and electrical failures cause most home fires nationally. Even a small kitchen fire can leave soot through the whole house, because smoke follows air currents into closets, ducts and attic space.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Anderson County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Campbell, Morgan, Scott and Union get more pipe-freeze nights than Anderson. Its housing is the oldest in the area by share of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Anderson | Tennessee median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 31% | 16% | 1 of 95 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 54% | 41% | 13 of 95 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 19% | 27% | 83 of 95 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 10% | 16% | 73 of 95 |
| Vacant homes | 8.7% | 12% | 73 of 95 |
| Wood or propane heat | 2.9% | 7.8% | 86 of 95 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 10/yr | 11/yr | 56 of 95 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 15/yr | 14/yr | 40 of 95 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 64/yr | 60/yr | 32 of 95 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 66/yr | 74/yr | 62 of 95 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Tennessee county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Anderson County: freezing from December to February, heavy rain in February, November 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