Polk County, Wisconsin · Balsam Lake
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Polk County averages 89 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to April, and 26% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 5.7 times a year here, most often in July. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Polk County gets about 5.7 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Polk County, 2.48 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
50% of occupied homes in Polk County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Wisconsin county median of 32.9%.
With 9 muggy nights a year, mold in Polk County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
With 24,558 homes and around 45,555 residents, Polk County is 914 square miles of northwest Wisconsin. Besides Balsam Lake, the county seat, the biggest communities are Amery, Osceola and St. Croix Falls. Half the homes here were built before 1981, half after.
44/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Polk County ranks 51 of 72 Wisconsin counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Polk County ranks highest compared with other Wisconsin counties.
Polk County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Wisconsin. From 2015–2024 it averaged 89 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 163 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 18th of 72 counties.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 32 days below freezing (ending March 2019), and the low bottomed out near -33°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.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 10 and end around May 4.
Rainfall is about average for Wisconsin. About 5.7 days a year bring an inch or more (47th of 72), most often in July, out of 33.5 inches of total precipitation. On September 21, 2018, 2.48 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 3.07 inches, ending May 22, 2024, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 90 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; Polk ranks 55th, with 49% of its homes built before 1980.
The mix runs from 26% built before 1960 to 25% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
About 26% of homes went up between 1980 and 1999. Some houses from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s were plumbed with polybutylene, a gray plastic pipe known for failing at fittings. A plumber can tell you in a few minutes whether you have it.
With 20% of homes empty at survey time, landlords and seasonal owners should shut off the main or schedule checks in winter. An unheated vacant house is also where many policies limit freeze coverage.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 9 times a year here, below the Wisconsin county median of 11. 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 expectBy main heating fuel, Polk County homes break down as 33% utility gas, 14% electric, 42% propane and 8% wood. Wood and propane heat are 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 Polk County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Barron and Burnett get more pipe-freeze nights than Polk. Barron County has the oldest housing nearby, with 55% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Polk | Wisconsin median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 26% | 31% | 56 of 72 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 49% | 54% | 55 of 72 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 25% | 21% | 18 of 72 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 6.8% | 4.8% | 21 of 72 |
| Vacant homes | 20% | 12% | 25 of 72 |
| Wood or propane heat | 50% | 33% | 16 of 72 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 89/yr | 73/yr | 18 of 72 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 5.7/yr | 6.3/yr | 47 of 72 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 90/yr | 94/yr | 59 of 72 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 9/yr | 11/yr | 43 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 Polk County: freezing from November to April, heavy rain in July, August and September.
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