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Counties with the oldest homes in Colorado
There's an undeniable charm that comes with pre-World War II American architecture, characterized by high ceilings, crown molding, hardwood floors, and ornate details. In fact, 12.8% of all housing units in America were built in 1939 or before, showing the popularity of the preservation of these units. Owning a piece of history can sometimes come with a cost: Many old homes come with asbestos, lead piping, knob-and-tube wiring, and other outdated building styles that can rack up a hefty price tag to modernize. However, with more and more modernized pre-war homes on the market, generally located just outside bustling downtown metros, investing in property that has withstood the test of time is an attractive prospect.
Stacker compiled a list of the counties in Colorado with the oldest homes using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by median year the structure was built according to 2020 5-year estimates. Ties broken by the highest percentage of homes built before 1939.
The country's domestic architecture is perhaps best characterized by a rugged individualism as opposed to the hybridization of disparate architectural elements. As Maya Angelou once perceptively observed, "the ache for home lives in all of us," a phrase that has meant very different things to different people.
Modest or palatial, there is no shortage of noteworthy homes in the U.S. Log cabins constructed by industrious pioneers have dotted the landscape alongside traditional Native American dwellings ever since immigrant Swedes introduced them to the New World in 1638. The unprecedented personal fortunes amassed by the so-called "Robber Barons" at the close of the 19th century gave way to the construction of a staggering number of Gilded Age estates.
The ravages of time spared neither the sumptuous nor the humble. Stately mansions, often prohibitively costly to maintain in the modern era, were frequently neglected; simple structures were forgotten, discarded by their owners, and damaged by natural elements. However, the tireless efforts of architectural preservationists and local historical societies have saved many of these homes from demolition, leading to their inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places and thereby safeguarding them for future generations.
Keep reading to learn more about which counties in Colorado have the oldest homes.
#50. La Plata County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.4% (1,710 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 27.3% (7,317 homes)
- Total homes built: 26,840
#49. Routt County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.4% (1,091 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 25.3% (4,290 homes)
- Total homes built: 16,977
#48. Adams County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 1.8% (3,127 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 30.4% (52,735 homes)
- Total homes built: 173,439
#47. Teller County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 8.2% (1,086 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 21.1% (2,803 homes)
- Total homes built: 13,270
#46. Gilpin County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 10.4% (366 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 22.0% (775 homes)
- Total homes built: 3,522
#45. Custer County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 12.9% (553 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 22.5% (962 homes)
- Total homes built: 4,285
#44. Mineral County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 15.3% (209 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 29.1% (399 homes)
- Total homes built: 1,370
#43. Summit County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 0.8% (243 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 17.1% (5,329 homes)
- Total homes built: 31,158
#42. El Paso County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.1% (14,170 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 27.5% (76,040 homes)
- Total homes built: 276,538
#41. Pitkin County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 3.0% (421 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 23.5% (3,258 homes)
- Total homes built: 13,861
#40. Mesa County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 7.4% (4,769 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 26.7% (17,167 homes)
- Total homes built: 64,244
#39. Arapahoe County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 1.7% (4,274 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 22.1% (55,970 homes)
- Total homes built: 252,835
#38. Boulder County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.6% (8,874 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 19.8% (26,824 homes)
- Total homes built: 135,409
#37. Gunnison County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 9.2% (1,086 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 20.9% (2,458 homes)
- Total homes built: 11,777
#36. Hinsdale County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 11.8% (170 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 16.1% (232 homes)
- Total homes built: 1,443
#35. Montezuma County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.9% (846 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 18.0% (2,202 homes)
- Total homes built: 12,220
#34. Alamosa County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 11.1% (762 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 21.9% (1,505 homes)
- Total homes built: 6,887
#33. Jackson County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 23.8% (313 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 28.9% (380 homes)
- Total homes built: 1,316
#32. Delta County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 15.5% (2,301 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 21.2% (3,150 homes)
- Total homes built: 14,860
#31. Saguache County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 16.9% (670 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 22.4% (887 homes)
- Total homes built: 3,961
#30. Fremont County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 16.3% (3,272 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 18.9% (3,788 homes)
- Total homes built: 20,035
#29. Jefferson County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 3.1% (7,260 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 14.9% (35,541 homes)
- Total homes built: 237,789
#28. Rio Blanco County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 10.5% (351 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 18.8% (629 homes)
- Total homes built: 3,345
#27. Rio Grande County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 19.2% (1,314 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 18.5% (1,262 homes)
- Total homes built: 6,832
#26. Costilla County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 25.3% (673 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 14.9% (396 homes)
- Total homes built: 2,661
#25. Moffat County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 10.0% (621 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 13.1% (812 homes)
- Total homes built: 6,197
#24. San Juan County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 30.1% (226 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 12.8% (96 homes)
- Total homes built: 751
#23. Dolores County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 12.1% (198 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 11.0% (180 homes)
- Total homes built: 1,641
#22. Conejos County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 26.5% (1,152 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 13.7% (593 homes)
- Total homes built: 4,343
#21. Pueblo County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 15.3% (10,926 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 18.9% (13,461 homes)
- Total homes built: 71,284
#20. Morgan County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 18.9% (2,228 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 15.7% (1,858 homes)
- Total homes built: 11,809
#19. Clear Creek County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 22.4% (1,286 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 7.4% (428 homes)
- Total homes built: 5,745
#18. Huerfano County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 24.1% (1,274 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 10.7% (567 homes)
- Total homes built: 5,296
#17. Lake County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 27.5% (1,243 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 15.7% (711 homes)
- Total homes built: 4,528
#16. Cheyenne County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 19.4% (196 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 8.0% (81 homes)
- Total homes built: 1,012
#15. Kit Carson County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 19.4% (690 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 9.1% (323 homes)
- Total homes built: 3,557
#14. Las Animas County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 31.7% (2,708 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 14.3% (1,224 homes)
- Total homes built: 8,549
#13. Denver
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 18.6% (56,855 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 21.9% (67,179 homes)
- Total homes built: 306,269
#12. Prowers County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 21.5% (1,275 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 8.0% (476 homes)
- Total homes built: 5,937
#11. Lincoln County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 25.6% (498 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 10.2% (199 homes)
- Total homes built: 1,948
#10. Phillips County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 27.7% (571 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 16.5% (339 homes)
- Total homes built: 2,060
#9. Baca County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 16.0% (360 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 9.8% (221 homes)
- Total homes built: 2,251
#8. Crowley County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 31.7% (508 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 5.1% (81 homes)
- Total homes built: 1,602
#7. Kiowa County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 22.0% (170 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 9.8% (76 homes)
- Total homes built: 772
#6. Logan County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 27.4% (2,476 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 6.8% (611 homes)
- Total homes built: 9,027
#5. Otero County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 30.9% (2,756 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 5.4% (485 homes)
- Total homes built: 8,930
#4. Washington County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 30.2% (723 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 6.8% (162 homes)
- Total homes built: 2,396
#3. Yuma County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 34.3% (1,542 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 10.0% (448 homes)
- Total homes built: 4,493
#2. Bent County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 32.2% (728 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 6.5% (147 homes)
- Total homes built: 2,262
#1. Sedgwick County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 31.4% (370 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 3.7% (44 homes)
- Total homes built: 1,177