Taylor County, Wisconsin · Medford
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Pipes freeze in Taylor County on about 93 nights a year, mostly November to April. Older homes, 31% of the stock here, are most at risk.
July brings the most downpours to Taylor County, part of 5 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
Sewage backups in Taylor County spike on heavy-rain days, about 5 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Taylor County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 2.7 inches, and about 94 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
52% of occupied homes in Taylor County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Wisconsin county median of 32.9%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 3 times a year in Taylor County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
About 20,024 people live in Taylor County, 975 square miles in central Wisconsin, in roughly 9,537 homes. The county seat is Medford, and Rib Lake, Stetsonville and Gilman round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1978.
45/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Taylor County ranks 50 of 72 Wisconsin counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Taylor County ranks highest compared with other Wisconsin counties.
Taylor is on the colder side of Wisconsin for pipes. From 2015–2024 it averaged 93 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 172 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 14th of 72 counties.
On January 31, 2019 the low fell to about -32°F, and in the stretch ending March 2015 the county went 41 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
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 7 and the last spring freeze around May 12.
Taylor gets fewer downpours than most Wisconsin counties, but they still fill basements. The county gets about 34.4 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 5 days of an inch or more (63rd of 72). Those downpours cluster in May, July and August, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 2.7 inches on June 12, 2017. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 3.49 inches (through May 18, 2017).
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 94 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
Wisconsin's 72 counties range widely in housing age; Taylor ranks 41st, with 54% of its homes built before 1980.
The mix runs from 31% built before 1960 to 21% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 25% 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 9% 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.
16% of homes were vacant at survey time. A leak in an empty rental or seasonal house can run for days before anyone notices, which is why those losses tend to be larger.
Beyond water
About 3 nights a year in Taylor County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (58th of 72 counties). June is the wettest month. Keep indoor humidity under 60%, as the EPA advises, and dry any leak within 24 to 48 hours; in a humid month a wet basement left alone won't dry by itself.
Mold remediation: what to expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Taylor County it's 28% utility gas, 15% electric, 37% propane and 14% 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 Taylor County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Lincoln and Price get more pipe-freeze nights than Taylor. Clark County has the oldest housing nearby, with 63% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Taylor | Wisconsin median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 31% | 31% | 37 of 72 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 54% | 54% | 41 of 72 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 21% | 21% | 36 of 72 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 8.5% | 4.8% | 13 of 72 |
| Vacant homes | 16% | 12% | 30 of 72 |
| Wood or propane heat | 52% | 33% | 11 of 72 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 93/yr | 73/yr | 14 of 72 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 5/yr | 6.3/yr | 63 of 72 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 94/yr | 94/yr | 31 of 72 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 3/yr | 11/yr | 58 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 Taylor 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