HearthDry Research · Census data analysis
Household Water Leaks in America, by Metro
About 1 in 6 U.S. homes had water leak in during the past year: 15.4%, or 20.5 million homes, in the 2023 American Housing Survey. Leaking pipes are the top inside cause and the roof the top outside one. Homes with a leak were 6.6 times as likely to report mold. Cincinnati had the highest leak rate of 20 metros (21.5%), Miami the lowest (7.3%).
Published 2026-10-28 · Source: U.S. Census Bureau and HUD · Open data (CC BY 4.0)
- Homes with a leak
- 15.4%
- 20.5 million in the past year
- Leaked from inside
- 8.4%
- pipes in 44% of those homes
- Leaked from outside
- 8.8%
- roof: 4.4% of all homes
- Mold, homes with a leak
- 10.5%
- vs 1.6% with no leak
Where the water came from
Share of all occupied U.S. homes, past 12 months. A home can report more than one source.
The first three are plumbing failures: pipe leaks, toilets and drains that back up, and water heaters. A leak you can hear but not find is a job for leak detection. In the same three months, 1.7% of homes had every toilet out of use and 3.5% went completely without running water.
Water leaks in 20 metro areas
Share of occupied homes, past 12 months, with 90% margin of error. Sorted by any leak. These are the metros the 2023 survey samples.
| Metro | Any leak | Inside | Pipes | Outside | Roof | Mold | Homes with a leak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 15.4%±0.3 | 8.4%±0.3 | 3.7%±0.2 | 8.8%±0.3 | 4.4%±0.2 | 2.9%±0.2 | 20.5 million |
| Cincinnati, OH | 21.5%±1.6 | 10.6%±1.1 | 3.9%±0.8 | 12.9%±1.4 | 4.4%±0.8 | 3.2%±0.8 | 195,000 |
| Washington, DC, DC | 20.3%±1.5 | 13.5%±1.2 | 5.8%±0.9 | 9%±1.3 | 4%±0.9 | 3.1%±0.7 | 494,000 |
| Denver, CO | 19.7%±1.7 | 12%±1.2 | 4.5%±0.8 | 10.1%±1.2 | 3.4%±0.7 | 1.8%±0.5 | 244,000 |
| Philadelphia, PA | 18.7%±1.7 | 9.9%±1.4 | 4.5%±1 | 11.9%±1.5 | 5.3%±1.1 | 2.8%±0.8 | 468,000 |
| New York, NY | 18.4%±1.7 | 10.4%±1.3 | 4.7%±0.8 | 10.6%±1.2 | 4.7%±0.9 | 4.2%±0.9 | 1,457,000 |
| Boston, MA | 18.1%±1.6 | 8.9%±1.1 | 3.3%±0.7 | 10.8%±1.2 | 4.1%±0.7 | 2.8%±0.6 | 358,000 |
| San Francisco, CA | 17.7%±1.6 | 7.3%±1.1 | 3.3%±0.7 | 12.4%±1.3 | 5.7%±0.9 | 4.6%±0.8 | 317,000 |
| Detroit, MI | 16.5%±1.7 | 8.4%±1.1 | 3.3%±0.8 | 10.4%±1.3 | 4.4%±0.9 | 2%±0.6 | 289,000 |
| Cleveland, OH | 16.5%±1.8 | 7.9%±1.4 | 2.5%±0.7 | 10.8%±1.4 | 3.9%±0.9 | 2%±0.8 | 151,000 |
| Milwaukee, WI | 16.1%±1.5 | 7.7%±1.2 | 2.9%±0.7 | 10.9%±1.2 | 3.8%±0.8 | 3.2%±0.7 | 107,000 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 15.7%±1.5 | 7.5%±1.1 | 3.9%±0.8 | 10.1%±1.2 | 6%±0.9 | 3.5%±0.8 | 720,000 |
| Chicago, IL | 14.2%±1.5 | 7.7%±1.1 | 3%±0.7 | 8.5%±1.2 | 3.3%±0.8 | 2.8%±0.7 | 536,000 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | 14.2%±1.6 | 7.7%±1.2 | 3.5%±0.7 | 8.5%±1.2 | 6.6%±1 | 2.7%±0.7 | 217,000 |
| Houston, TX | 13.2%±1.3 | 8.3%±1.1 | 3.5%±0.7 | 6.4%±0.8 | 4.2%±0.7 | 2.9%±0.6 | 363,000 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 12.6%±1.4 | 7.6%±1.2 | 3.1%±0.8 | 6.4%±1 | 4.4%±0.9 | 1.9%±0.6 | 245,000 |
| Seattle, WA | 12.4%±1.2 | 8.6%±1 | 3.6%±0.6 | 5%±0.8 | 2.3%±0.5 | 3%±0.7 | 203,000 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | 12.2%±1.3 | 7.6%±1.1 | 3%±0.6 | 6.3%±0.8 | 3.2%±0.7 | 2.3%±0.6 | 371,000 |
| Atlanta, GA | 9.5%±1.2 | 6%±1 | 3.4%±0.9 | 4.2%±0.8 | 2.7%±0.7 | 2.3%±0.7 | 227,000 |
| New Orleans, LA | 9%±1.3 | 4.5%±0.9 | 1.9%±0.6 | 5.1%±1 | 3.3%±0.9 | 3.1%±0.7 | 47,000 |
| Miami, FL | 7.3%±1.1 | 3.9%±0.8 | 1.6%±0.6 | 4.8%±0.9 | 3.4%±0.8 | 2.2%±0.6 | 169,000 |
Leaks and mold
10.5% of homes that had a leak in the past year also reported mold covering more than a sheet of letter paper, against 1.6% of homes with no leak: 6.6 times the rate. Mold can start on wet drywall and carpet pad within a day or two, which is why drying fast matters. Renters reported mold more often than owners (5% against 1.8%). Read more on mold after water damage.
If a leak has already soaked a ceiling, wall or floor, fixing the pipe or roof does not dry the house. One call reaches a water damage company covering your ZIP.
Water leak questions, answered from the data
How many homes have a water leak each year?
About 1 in 6. In the 2023 American Housing Survey, 15.4% of occupied U.S. homes (20.5 million) reported water leaking in from inside or outside in the previous 12 months: 8.4% from inside the home and 8.8% from outside.
What is the most common cause of water leaks inside a home?
Leaking pipes. They were named in about 44% of homes with an inside leak (3.7% of all homes), ahead of plumbing fixtures that backed up or overflowed (2%) and broken water heaters (0.8%). From outside, the roof leads (4.4%).
Do water leaks lead to mold?
Homes that had a leak in the past year were 6.6 times as likely to report mold larger than a sheet of letter paper: 10.5% against 1.6% of homes with no leak. The survey shows the two go together; it does not measure which caused which.
Which metro has the most water leaks?
Of the 20 metros the survey samples, Cincinnati had the highest share of homes with a leak in the past year (21.5%, ±1.6) and Miami the lowest (7.3%).
Are renters or owners more likely to have a leak?
Renters reported more inside leaks (10.5% against 7.3% of owners) and more mold (5% against 1.8%). Owners reported slightly more leaks from outside (9.2% against 8%), which follows from more owners living in houses with their own roof and basement.
Can I use this data?
YesUnder CC BY 4.0.
Chart it, quote it or republish it with a link to this page. Every figure is in the CSV and JSON downloads with its margin of error. The underlying microdata is public from the Census Bureau.
Who do I call right now for water damage?
Call (888) 840-6512. The line is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and connects you with an IICRC-certified water damage restoration company that serves your area. A recorded menu picks up first: choose water damage or mold, key in your 5-digit ZIP code, and hold through the short silence while the call is passed to the company.
Describe what you can see — where the water is coming from, how long it has been there, and whether it smells — the more specific you are, the faster the right company is on the line. If the source is a pipe or an appliance, shut the main water valve first. Have four things ready and the call goes quickly: the address, when the water started, what is wet now, and whether you have filed an insurance claim.
Still not sure which of these is your situation? (888) 840-6512 · toll-free · answered 24/7
Methodology
- Source: the 2023 American Housing Survey (U.S. Census Bureau for HUD), National and Metropolitan Public Use Files, version 1.1. We computed every figure from the household microdata; HearthDry is not affiliated with the Census Bureau or HUD.
- Universe: occupied housing units (133.2 million homes, 48,527 interviews nationally). Leak questions cover the 12 months before the interview; toilet and water-outage questions cover the 3 months before it. Mold means an area at least the size of an 8½ by 11 inch sheet of paper.
- Estimates use the survey weight. Margins of error are at 90% confidence from the 160 replicate weights (variance = 4/160 × sum of squared replicate differences). Metros with fewer than 800 interviews are not shown; all 20 sampled metros pass.
- Metro areas are 2013 OMB core-based statistical areas. Fifteen come from the national sample and five (Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Milwaukee, New Orleans) from the 2023 metropolitan sample.
- Leaks and mold are reported by the household, not inspected. The leak–mold comparison shows association, not cause.
Cite this research
U.S. and 20 metros, with margins of error. CSV and JSON at https://hearthdry.com/research/data/household-water-leaks-by-metro.csv.
HearthDry (2026). Household Water Leaks in America, by Metro: an analysis of the 2023 American Housing Survey. https://hearthdry.com/research/household-water-leaks-by-metro
Free to quote and republish with attribution. Journalists and researchers can reach the analysis author through our contact page.