Counties with the oldest homes in Florida
Counties with the oldest homes in Florida
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history can sometimes come with a cost: Many old homes come with asbestos, lead piping, knob-and-tube wiring, and other outdated building styles that can rack up a hefty price tag to modernize.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 Florida with the oldest homes using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by median year the structure was built, with ties broken by the most homes 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 Florida have the oldest homes.
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#30. Seminole County
--- #2,785 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 1.3%
--- #3,108 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 190,156
#29. Manatee County
--- #2,783 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 1.8%
--- #3,045 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 191,000
#28. Highlands County
--- #2,781 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 1.9%
--- #3,040 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 55,791
#27. Franklin County
--- #2,765 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 4.0%
--- #2,669 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 8,725
#26. Union County
--- #2,740 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.6%
--- #2,186 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 4,608
#25. Brevard County
--- #2,713 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 0.8%
--- #3,169 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 278,173
#24. Hendry County
--- #2,709 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 1.2%
--- #3,117 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 14,804
#23. Alachua County
--- #2,701 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 2.5%
--- #2,952 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 117,415
#22. Calhoun County
--- #2,688 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 3.4%
--- #2,786 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 6,017
#21. Jefferson County
--- #2,649 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 7.0%
--- #2,098 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 6,752
#20. Martin County
--- #2,617 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 1.2%
--- #3,118 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 80,153

#19. Sarasota County
--- #2,615 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 1.4%
--- #3,091 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 240,766
#18. Palm Beach County
--- #2,614 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 1.6%
--- #3,075 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 686,410
#17. Volusia County
--- #2,607 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 2.2%
--- #2,990 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 260,720
#16. Washington County
--- #2,599 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 3.1%
--- #2,834 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 10,922
#15. Hardee County
--- #2,551 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 7.3%
--- #2,044 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 9,763
#14. Taylor County
--- #2,503 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 3.4%
--- #2,781 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 11,112
#13. Bradford County
--- #2,493 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 3.9%
--- #2,685 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 11,051
#12. Duval County
--- #2,469 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.1%
--- #2,461 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 407,960
#11. Madison County
--- #2,454 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.2%
--- #2,249 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 8,639
#10. Lafayette County
--- #2,434 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 7.4%
--- #2,033 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 3,193
#9. Escambia County
--- #2,378 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 3.5%
--- #2,762 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 141,355
#8. Gadsden County
--- #2,373 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 4.0%
--- #2,681 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 20,293
#7. Putnam County
--- #2,371 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 4.1%
--- #2,659 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 37,415
#6. Holmes County
--- #2,358 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.1%
--- #2,464 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 8,711
#5. Jackson County
--- #2,113 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.2%
--- #2,450 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 21,102
#4. Monroe County
--- #1,975 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.7%
--- #2,161 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 53,518
#3. Broward County
--- #1,883 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 0.8%
--- #3,175 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 823,499
#2. Miami-Dade County
--- #1,615 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 3.6%
--- #2,742 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 1.0 million
#1. Pinellas County
--- #1,495 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 3.7%
--- #2,732 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 509,132