Barron County, Wisconsin · Barron
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Barron County averages 91 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to April, and 31% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 5.1 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 Barron County gets about 5.1 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Barron County, 2.49 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
38% of occupied homes in Barron County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Wisconsin county median of 32.9%.
With 5 muggy nights a year, mold in Barron County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
About 46,797 people live in Barron County, 863 square miles in northwest Wisconsin, in roughly 24,067 homes. The county seat is Barron, and Rice Lake, Cumberland and Chetek round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1977, half after.
45/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Barron County ranks 47 of 72 Wisconsin counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Barron County ranks highest compared with other Wisconsin counties.
Barron County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Wisconsin. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 91 nights a year at or below 20°F (17th of 72) and 166 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
The longest cold spell was straight 32 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in March 2019. The coldest night reached about -32°F on January 31, 2019. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
Most freezing nights fall from November to April, 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 Oct 9 and end around May 7.
Barron gets fewer downpours than most Wisconsin counties, but they still fill basements. About 5.1 days a year bring an inch or more (61st of 72), most often in May, out of 33.5 inches of total precipitation. On June 29, 2020, 2.49 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 3.99 inches, ending May 18, 2017, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 92 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 55% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Barron near the middle of Wisconsin's 72 counties.
Older and newer homes sit side by side here: 31% predate 1960 and 20% are from 2000 or later. Corroded pipe is the typical failure in the first group, burst supply hoses in the second.
24% date from 1980 to 1999, the window when polybutylene, a gray flexible plastic supply pipe, was used in some homes. It's prone to leaks at the fittings, so it's worth checking for in a house from those years.
The Census counted 17% of homes as vacant, above the Wisconsin county median of 12%. Empty houses are where a small leak turns into a large claim, because nobody is there to hear it.
Beyond water
About 5 nights a year in Barron County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (52nd of 72 counties). August is the wettest month. 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 expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Barron County it's 44% utility gas, 14% electric, 31% propane and 7% wood. Propane heat is above the Wisconsin norm. Annual chimney and vent inspection, which the NFPA recommends, is one of the most effective fire-prevention habits for these homes.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Barron County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Burnett, Rusk and Washburn get more pipe-freeze nights than Barron. All of its neighbors see more heavy-rain days. Its housing is the oldest in the area by share of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Barron | Wisconsin median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 31% | 31% | 37 of 72 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 55% | 54% | 33 of 72 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 20% | 21% | 41 of 72 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 5% | 4.8% | 34 of 72 |
| Vacant homes | 17% | 12% | 28 of 72 |
| Wood or propane heat | 38% | 33% | 31 of 72 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 91/yr | 73/yr | 17 of 72 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 5.1/yr | 6.3/yr | 61 of 72 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 92/yr | 94/yr | 44 of 72 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 5/yr | 11/yr | 52 of 72 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Wisconsin county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Barron County: freezing from November to April, heavy rain in May, July and August.
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