York County, Virginia · Yorktown
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Pipes freeze in York County on about 5 nights a year, mostly January. Older homes, 8% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Basements flood here mostly in June. York County averages 10.6 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Sewage backups in York County spike on heavy-rain days, about 10.6 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
York County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 5.67 inches, and about 46 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
2% of occupied homes in York County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Virginia county median of 11.9%.
With 104 muggy nights a year, mold in York County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
About 71,005 people live in York County, 105 square miles in southeast Virginia, in roughly 28,506 homes. The county seat is Yorktown, and Bethel Manor is the other large town. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1992.
34/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate York County ranks 91 of 95 Virginia counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where York County ranks highest compared with other Virginia counties.
York County is milder than most of Virginia, but not mild enough to skip winterizing. It averaged 48 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 5 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 95 Virginia counties that's 93rd.
On January 6, 2018 the low fell to about 3°F, and in the stretch ending January 2018 the county went 4 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
The freeze season here runs January, with January the coldest. If you travel then, leave the thermostat at 55°F or above and open sink cabinets on outside walls.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Nov 18 and the last spring freeze around Mar 20.
Rainfall is about average for Virginia. Of roughly 51 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 10.6 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 33rd of 95. June, September and October see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 5.67 inches, October 9, 2016. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 6.28 inches (through October 9, 2016).
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 46 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
Virginia's 95 counties range widely in housing age; York ranks 84th, with 27% of its homes built before 1980.
Since 2000 the county has added enough housing that 33% of homes are that new. Modern PEX and copper rarely fail on their own; the leaks come from connections, appliances and storms.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 40% 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.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 104 times a year here, above the Virginia county median of 64. 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 expectMain heating fuel in York County's occupied homes: 49% utility gas, 47% electric, 2% 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 York County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Gloucester, James City and Mathews get more pipe-freeze nights than York. Mathews County has the oldest housing nearby, with 56% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | York | Virginia median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 8.3% | 20% | 86 of 95 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 27% | 46% | 84 of 95 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 33% | 25% | 24 of 95 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 1% | 9.6% | 88 of 95 |
| Vacant homes | 5.4% | 15% | 81 of 95 |
| Wood or propane heat | 2% | 12% | 91 of 95 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 5/yr | 14/yr | 93 of 95 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 11/yr | 10/yr | 33 of 95 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 46/yr | 77/yr | 94 of 95 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 104/yr | 64/yr | 2 of 95 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Virginia county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in York County: freezing from January, heavy rain in June, 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