Marion County, West Virginia · Fairmont
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Marion County averages 25 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 49% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 5.5 times a year here, most often in October. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in Marion County spike on heavy-rain days, about 5.5 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 88 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
4% of occupied homes in Marion County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the West Virginia county median of 10.1%.
About 26 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 26,276 homes and around 55,909 residents, Marion County is 309 square miles of northern West Virginia. Fairmont is the county seat; Pleasant Valley, Mannington and Barrackville are the next largest communities. Half the homes here were built before 1961, half after.
52/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Marion County ranks 25 of 55 West Virginia counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Marion County ranks highest compared with other West Virginia counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Marion County sits near the middle of the state. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 25 nights a year at or below 20°F (26th of 55) and 104 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 13 days below freezing (ending January 2018), and the low bottomed out near -6°F on February 20, 2015.
Expect the hardest freezes in January, inside a season that runs November to March. That's when an outdoor spigot left connected to a hose, or a pipe in a crawl space, is most likely to split.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 29 and end around Apr 24.
Marion gets fewer downpours than most West Virginia counties, but they still fill basements. The county gets about 45.9 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 5.5 days of an inch or more (49th of 55). Those downpours cluster in July, September and October, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 2.37 inches on September 30, 2016. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.35 inches, ending September 11, 2018, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 88 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
70% of homes in Marion County predate 1980, above the West Virginia county median of 55.1%, which ranks 8th of West Virginia's 55 counties.
Before 1960 is when 49% 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.
8% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, below the West Virginia county median of 16.2%. Their water lines run under the floor behind the skirting, so a torn skirt or failed heat tape freezes them faster than lines in a site-built house.
Beyond water
Marion County averages 26 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in June. 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, Marion County homes break down as 68% utility gas, 26% electric, 3% propane and 1% wood. Fires here are likelier to start in the kitchen or the wiring than in the furnace. After any fire, keep the HVAC off until ducts are checked, or soot will travel through the house.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Marion County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Monongalia and Wetzel get more pipe-freeze nights than Marion. Wetzel County has the oldest housing nearby, with 72% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Marion | West Virginia median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 49% | 31% | 5 of 55 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 70% | 55% | 8 of 55 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 14% | 17% | 44 of 55 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 7.7% | 16% | 50 of 55 |
| Vacant homes | 11% | 17% | 45 of 55 |
| Wood or propane heat | 4.4% | 10% | 48 of 55 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 25/yr | 25/yr | 26 of 55 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 5.5/yr | 6.8/yr | 49 of 55 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 88/yr | 89/yr | 29 of 55 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 26/yr | 27/yr | 29 of 55 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest West Virginia county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Marion County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in July, 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