Mason County, West Virginia · Point Pleasant
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Mason County averages 24 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 30% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 6.4 times a year here, most often in June. 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 6.4 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Mason County, 2.34 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
16% of occupied homes in Mason County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the West Virginia county median of 10.1%.
With 37 muggy nights a year, mold in Mason County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
With 12,179 homes and around 25,043 residents, Mason County is 431 square miles of western West Virginia. Besides Point Pleasant, the county seat, the biggest communities are New Haven, Mason and Gallipolis Ferry. Half the homes here were built before 1978, half after.
43/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Mason County ranks 40 of 55 West Virginia counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Mason County ranks highest compared with other West Virginia counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Mason County sits near the middle of the state. From 2015–2024 it averaged 24 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 100 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 31st of 55 counties.
On February 20, 2015 the low fell to about -14°F, and in the stretch ending January 2018 the county went 13 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
The freeze season here runs November to March, 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 Oct 30 and end around Apr 21.
Mason gets fewer downpours than most West Virginia counties, but they still fill basements. About 6.4 days a year bring an inch or more (40th of 55), most often in June, out of 44.2 inches of total precipitation. On September 10, 2018, 2.34 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 3.97 inches, ending September 10, 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 88 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
52% of homes in Mason County predate 1980, close to the West Virginia county median of 55.1%, which ranks 35th of West Virginia's 55 counties.
22% of homes were built in 2000 or later, more than in most of West Virginia. Newer plumbing rarely corrodes, so damage here tends to come from appliance supply lines, water heaters, sump pumps and storms.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 26% 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.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 25% 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
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 37 times a year here, above the West Virginia county median of 27. 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: 20% utility gas, 63% electric, 12% propane and 4% wood. Propane heat is more common here than in most West Virginia 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. Cabell County has the oldest housing nearby, with 65% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Mason | West Virginia median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 30% | 31% | 31 of 55 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 52% | 55% | 35 of 55 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 22% | 17% | 11 of 55 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 25% | 16% | 8 of 55 |
| Vacant homes | 16% | 17% | 30 of 55 |
| Wood or propane heat | 16% | 10% | 22 of 55 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 24/yr | 25/yr | 31 of 55 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 6.4/yr | 6.8/yr | 40 of 55 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 88/yr | 89/yr | 29 of 55 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 37/yr | 27/yr | 11 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 Mason County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in February, June and July.
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