Mason County, Texas · Mason
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Mason County averages 3 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly midwinter, and 34% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 5.5 times a year here, most often in May. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Mason County gets about 5.5 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Mason County, 4.22 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
32% of occupied homes in Mason County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Texas county median of 6.5%.
With 129 muggy nights a year, mold in Mason County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
With 2,430 homes and around 3,955 residents, Mason County is 929 square miles of central Texas. Mason is the county seat. Half the homes here were built before 1976, half after.
56/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Mason County ranks 74 of 232 Texas counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Mason County ranks highest compared with other Texas counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Mason County sits near the middle of the state. From 2015–2024 it averaged 3 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 28 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 94th of 232 counties.
On February 15, 2021 the low fell to about 6°F, and in the stretch ending February 2021 the county went 7 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
The freeze season here runs midwinter, with January the coldest. If you travel then, leave the thermostat at 55°F or above and open sink cabinets on outside walls.
Freezing nights typically start around Nov 21 and end around Feb 26.
Mason gets fewer downpours than most Texas counties, but they still fill basements. About 5.5 days a year bring an inch or more (160th of 232), most often in May, out of 26.1 inches of total precipitation. On October 16, 2018, 4.22 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 7.68 inches, ending October 17, 2018, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 26 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
54% of homes in Mason County predate 1980, above the Texas county median of 45.8%, which ranks 76th of Texas's 232 counties.
Before 1960 is when 34% 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.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 15% 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 30% 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
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 129 times a year here, close to the Texas county median of 129. 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 Mason County's occupied homes: 3% utility gas, 65% electric, 31% propane and 2% wood. Wood and propane heat are more common here than in most Texas counties. Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires nationally, and the NFPA recommends having chimneys and vents inspected every year.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Mason County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Mason gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. McCulloch County has the oldest housing nearby, with 64% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Mason | Texas median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 34% | 20% | 39 of 232 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 54% | 46% | 76 of 232 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 24% | 26% | 132 of 232 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 15% | 13% | 102 of 232 |
| Vacant homes | 30% | 17% | 20 of 232 |
| Wood or propane heat | 32% | 6.5% | 2 of 232 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 3/yr | 3/yr | 94 of 232 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 5.5/yr | 7.8/yr | 160 of 232 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 26/yr | 27/yr | 117 of 232 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 129/yr | 129/yr | 116 of 232 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Texas county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Mason County: freezing from midwinter, heavy rain in May, September and October.
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