Where Are the Oldest Homes in America?
America is booming with new construction, but there are still many homes standing from hundreds of years ago. You may be wondering which of the nation’s states and counties hold the oldest and youngest homes. We analyzed data from the U.S. Census American Community Survey to find what counties have the oldest, youngest, and median home ages.
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Key Findings
- The median year of a newly built American home is 1978.
- The median age of an American home is 45 years.
- The oldest homes in America are in the Northeast and Midwest; the youngest are in the South.
- The oldest median homes were built in 1939 in Sioux County, Nebraska, and Kings County, New York.
- The county with the youngest median home age is McKenzie County, North Dakota, and was built in 2005.
Where Are the Oldest Homes in America?
The nation’s oldest homes are primarily located in the Northeast and Midwest. The Northeast’s median home age is 61 years, and the median home was built in 1962. The median home age in the Midwest is 51 years, with the median house built in 1972.
Younger median homes are in the South and West, with the South holding the youngest median home age of 38, built in 1985. The median home age in the West is 43, built in 1980. Many of the youngest median home ages are in states such as Texas, Georgia, Idaho, and Colorado.
Median Home Age by County
Two counties are tied for the oldest median home age: Sioux County, Nebraska, and Kings County, New York. The median home age in these two counties is 84 years, with the median home built in 1939. Six of the 10 counties with the oldest houses are in the Midwest. Kansas has the most counties in the top 10 with three, followed by Nebraska with two.
McKenzie County, North Dakota, has the youngest median home age at 18 years, with the county’s median home built in 2005. This county has unique surroundings for two reasons: It borders North Dakota’s second youngest county, Williams County, which has a median home age of 26 years. It also borders the state’s second oldest county, Golden Valley County, whose median home age is 65 years.
Six of the 10 counties with the youngest median homes are in the South, with three in Texas alone. Texas also houses seven of the top 20 counties with the youngest median home age.
Where Are Historic Properties Most Common?
Historic properties are registered in the National Register of Historic Places and approved by the local State Historic Preservation Office based on “the property’s age, significance, and integrity.”
The South and Northeast regions have the highest concentration of historic properties. New York leads all states with 1,855 historic properties. Only four other states have over 1,000: Kentucky (1,312), Ohio (1,258), Texas (1,174), and Arkansas (1,011). The average state has 435 historic properties.
Alaska and Louisiana are the only states without any historic properties registered. The District of Columbia also doesn’t have any historical properties registered. Four states have fewer than 100 historic properties: North Dakota (63), Hawaii (44), Nevada (42), and Wyoming (20).
Four counties in the country have over 200 historic properties, according to the National Register. Middlesex County, Massachusetts, leads the list with 423 properties, almost as much as the average state. The other three are:
- Jefferson County, Kentucky: 255
- Multnomah County, Oregon: 253
- Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania: 212
Conclusion
The South and Northeast have the most old homes, but you can find many throughout the country. There are almost 1,400 historic properties between Maine and Massachusetts alone. The amount grows exponentially as you travel below the Mason-Dixon line. Old homes may require more updates than new construction, but their history and charm make them unique.
Methodology
The team at This Old House analyzed data on the median year homes were built from the 5-Year U.S. Census American Community Survey at the county level to determine where homes are the oldest.
We analyzed data from the National Register of Historic Places to shed light on where historic homes are located. According to the National Register of Historic Places, historic properties are evaluated based on the property’s “age, significance, and integrity.” Please visit the National Register of Historic Places website for more information on historic properties and preservation.
Questions about our study? Please contact the author here.
Fair Use Policy
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