Dunn County, Wisconsin · Menomonie
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With 26% of homes built before 1960 and about 82 hard-freeze nights a year, frozen and split pipes are a leading winter risk in the county.
August brings the most downpours to Dunn County, part of 5.8 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
26% of homes here predate 1960, when clay and cast iron sewer laterals were standard. Roots and cracks in those lines are a common cause of backups.
In Dunn County, 2.97 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
40% of occupied homes in Dunn County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Wisconsin county median of 32.9%.
About 10 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
Dunn County covers 850 square miles of western Wisconsin, with about 45,527 residents and 18,983 homes. Menomonie is the county seat; Tainter Lake, Colfax and Elk Mound are the next largest communities. The county's median home was built in 1983.
45/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Dunn County ranks 48 of 72 Wisconsin counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Dunn County ranks highest compared with other Wisconsin counties.
Dunn is on the colder side of Wisconsin for pipes. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 82 nights a year at or below 20°F (24th of 72) and 159 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 26 days below freezing (ending March 2015), and the low bottomed out near -32°F on January 31, 2019.
The freeze season here runs November to April, 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 Oct 14 and the last spring freeze around May 4.
Rainfall is about average for Wisconsin. Of roughly 34.4 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 5.8 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 45th of 72. May, June and August see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 2.97 inches, June 29, 2020. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 3.53 inches (through May 18, 2017).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 92 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
Wisconsin's 72 counties range widely in housing age; Dunn ranks 63rd, with 47% of its homes built before 1980.
Older and newer homes sit side by side here: 26% predate 1960 and 25% are from 2000 or later. Corroded pipe is the typical failure in the first group, burst supply hoses in the second.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 29% 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.
9% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, above the Wisconsin county median of 4.8%. 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.
Renters occupy 33% of homes. If you rent, the building is usually the landlord's to repair, but your belongings are only covered by renters insurance.
Beyond water
Dunn County averages 10 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in August. 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 Dunn County's occupied homes: 34% utility gas, 22% electric, 35% propane and 6% 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 Dunn County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Barron, Chippewa and St. Croix get more pipe-freeze nights than Dunn. Pepin County has the oldest housing nearby, with 64% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Dunn | Wisconsin median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 26% | 31% | 51 of 72 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 47% | 54% | 63 of 72 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 25% | 21% | 20 of 72 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 9.2% | 4.8% | 10 of 72 |
| Vacant homes | 8.1% | 12% | 44 of 72 |
| Wood or propane heat | 40% | 33% | 25 of 72 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 82/yr | 73/yr | 24 of 72 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 5.8/yr | 6.3/yr | 45 of 72 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 92/yr | 94/yr | 44 of 72 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 10/yr | 11/yr | 39 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 Dunn County: freezing from November to April, heavy rain in May, June 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