Counties in Arkansas with the most pre-war homes

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June 22, 2022
Arina P Habich // Shutterstock

Counties in Arkansas with the most pre-war homes

Pre-war homes—those built before 1939—are architectural gems. They are sturdy, charming, and often what people are referring to when they look at the prevalent colorless, linear designs of today and lament "they just don't make them like they used to."

In some ways, that's a good thing. Pre-war homes often contained materials we know to be hazardous today, like asbestos and lead. But their signature characteristics, including hardwood floors, nickel accents, ornate crown molding, and high ceilings, are among the features many people look for in a dream home.

Preserving the history of these properties, many of which you'll find on the National Register of Historic Places, is labor that often extends beyond the scope of an individual homeowner. Depending on where these homes are located, special permission by local historic commissions may be required before renovations can be done in an effort to preserve their historic architectural integrity.

Stacker compiled a list of counties in Arkansas with the most pre-war homes using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the highest percent of homes that were built before 1939 based on 2020 5-year estimates.

#30. Montgomery County

- Homes built before 1939: 5.8%
- Homes built since 2000: 22.9%
- Median year built: 1986
- Total homes: 5,875

#29. Jefferson County

- Homes built before 1939: 6.0%
- Homes built since 2000: 15.2%
- Median year built: 1976
- Total homes: 33,372

#28. Polk County

- Homes built before 1939: 6.0%
- Homes built since 2000: 19.8%
- Median year built: 1980
- Total homes: 10,130

#27. Lawrence County

- Homes built before 1939: 6.0%
- Homes built since 2000: 11.9%
- Median year built: 1977
- Total homes: 8,030

#26. Nevada County

- Homes built before 1939: 6.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 9.1%
- Median year built: 1975
- Total homes: 4,595

#25. Prairie County

- Homes built before 1939: 6.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 19.7%
- Median year built: 1979
- Total homes: 4,550

#24. Sebastian County

- Homes built before 1939: 6.5%
- Homes built since 2000: 17.6%
- Median year built: 1978
- Total homes: 57,127

#23. Mississippi County

- Homes built before 1939: 6.5%
- Homes built since 2000: 9.8%
- Median year built: 1976
- Total homes: 20,572

#22. Randolph County

- Homes built before 1939: 6.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 13.5%
- Median year built: 1979
- Total homes: 8,629

#21. Desha County

- Homes built before 1939: 6.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 15.7%
- Median year built: 1976
- Total homes: 6,292

#20. Howard County

- Homes built before 1939: 6.9%
- Homes built since 2000: 20.5%
- Median year built: 1979
- Total homes: 6,255

#19. Garland County

- Homes built before 1939: 7.1%
- Homes built since 2000: 21.9%
- Median year built: 1981
- Total homes: 50,974

#18. Boone County

- Homes built before 1939: 7.1%
- Homes built since 2000: 20.5%
- Median year built: 1983
- Total homes: 17,025

#17. Ashley County

- Homes built before 1939: 7.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 12.1%
- Median year built: 1975
- Total homes: 10,186

#16. Hempstead County

- Homes built before 1939: 7.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 12.6%
- Median year built: 1977
- Total homes: 10,570

#15. Arkansas County

- Homes built before 1939: 7.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 11.1%
- Median year built: 1974
- Total homes: 9,495

#14. Clay County

- Homes built before 1939: 7.5%
- Homes built since 2000: 9.8%
- Median year built: 1974
- Total homes: 8,024

#13. Lee County

- Homes built before 1939: 7.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 12.0%
- Median year built: 1973
- Total homes: 4,362

#12. Conway County

- Homes built before 1939: 7.7%
- Homes built since 2000: 20.1%
- Median year built: 1978
- Total homes: 9,862

#11. Pike County

- Homes built before 1939: 7.8%
- Homes built since 2000: 19.9%
- Median year built: 1981
- Total homes: 5,629

#10. Dallas County

- Homes built before 1939: 7.9%
- Homes built since 2000: 20.4%
- Median year built: 1979
- Total homes: 4,346

#9. Carroll County

- Homes built before 1939: 8.1%
- Homes built since 2000: 19.4%
- Median year built: 1988
- Total homes: 13,764

#8. Logan County

- Homes built before 1939: 8.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 14.4%
- Median year built: 1978
- Total homes: 10,173

#7. Franklin County

- Homes built before 1939: 9.1%
- Homes built since 2000: 20.0%
- Median year built: 1982
- Total homes: 8,018

#6. Ouachita County

- Homes built before 1939: 9.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 9.4%
- Median year built: 1973
- Total homes: 13,110

#5. Phillips County

- Homes built before 1939: 9.4%
- Homes built since 2000: 7.4%
- Median year built: 1973
- Total homes: 10,243

#4. Searcy County

- Homes built before 1939: 9.5%
- Homes built since 2000: 12.8%
- Median year built: 1977
- Total homes: 4,951

#3. Bradley County

- Homes built before 1939: 10.0%
- Homes built since 2000: 15.0%
- Median year built: 1977
- Total homes: 5,818

#2. Newton County

- Homes built before 1939: 12.5%
- Homes built since 2000: 14.8%
- Median year built: 1979
- Total homes: 4,706

#1. Madison County

- Homes built before 1939: 13.0%
- Homes built since 2000: 27.2%
- Median year built: 1988
- Total homes: 7,595

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