Waushara County, Wisconsin · Wautoma
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Pipes freeze in Waushara County on about 68 nights a year, mostly November to April. Older homes, 30% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Basements flood here mostly in May. Waushara County averages 7.4 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
30% 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.
Waushara County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 2.85 inches, and about 98 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
47% of occupied homes in Waushara County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Wisconsin county median of 32.9%.
About 11 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
With 14,875 homes and around 24,868 residents, Waushara County is 626 square miles of central Wisconsin. Wautoma is the county seat; Redgranite, Plainfield and Wild Rose are the next largest communities. Half the homes here were built before 1977, half after.
51/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Waushara County ranks 39 of 72 Wisconsin counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Waushara County ranks highest compared with other Wisconsin counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Waushara County sits near the middle of the state. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 68 nights a year at or below 20°F (42nd of 72) and 154 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
On January 31, 2019 the low fell to about -28°F, and in the stretch ending February 2019 the county went 24 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
Expect the hardest freezes in January, inside a season that runs November to April. That's when an outdoor spigot left connected to a hose, or a pipe in a crawl space, is most likely to split.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 16 and end around May 6.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Wisconsin. About 7.4 days a year bring an inch or more (20th of 72), most often in May, out of 36.2 inches of total precipitation. On August 8, 2021, 2.85 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 5.22 inches, ending August 29, 2018, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 98 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; Waushara ranks 36th, with 54% of its homes built before 1980.
Housing age is mixed: 30% of homes are pre-1960 and 20% are 2000 or newer. Ask any plumber which era your house is from and you'll know which failures to watch for.
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 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.
With 29% 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
About 11 nights a year in Waushara County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (33rd of 72 counties). August is the wettest month. 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, Waushara County homes break down as 39% utility gas, 10% electric, 39% propane and 9% 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 Waushara County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Adams, Portage and Waupaca get more pipe-freeze nights than Waushara. Green Lake County has the oldest housing nearby, with 65% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Waushara | Wisconsin median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 30% | 31% | 43 of 72 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 54% | 54% | 36 of 72 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 20% | 21% | 46 of 72 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 8.5% | 4.8% | 13 of 72 |
| Vacant homes | 29% | 12% | 17 of 72 |
| Wood or propane heat | 47% | 33% | 19 of 72 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 68/yr | 73/yr | 42 of 72 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 7.4/yr | 6.3/yr | 20 of 72 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 98/yr | 94/yr | 15 of 72 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 11/yr | 11/yr | 33 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 Waushara County: freezing from November to April, heavy rain in May, June 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