Counties in Illinois with the most pre-war homes

Written by:
June 22, 2022
Boscophotos // Wikimedia Commons

Counties in Illinois 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 Illinois 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.

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ProfDEH // Wikimedia Commons

#30. Marshall County

- Homes built before 1939: 27.7%
- Homes built since 2000: 8.1%
- Median year built: 1963
- Total homes: 5,919
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#29. Cook County

- Homes built before 1939: 28.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 10.0%
- Median year built: 1959
- Total homes: 2,198,489
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#28. Jo Daviess County

- Homes built before 1939: 28.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 15.2%
- Median year built: 1974
- Total homes: 13,723
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Coalfather // Wikimedia Commons

#27. Macoupin County

- Homes built before 1939: 28.8%
- Homes built since 2000: 12.3%
- Median year built: 1965
- Total homes: 21,769
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Katherine Johnson from Springfield, IL // Wikimedia Commons

#26. Logan County

- Homes built before 1939: 29.0%
- Homes built since 2000: 7.1%
- Median year built: 1960
- Total homes: 12,040

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#25. Lawrence County

- Homes built before 1939: 29.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 6.8%
- Median year built: 1960
- Total homes: 7,175
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#24. Montgomery County

- Homes built before 1939: 29.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 10.4%
- Median year built: 1963
- Total homes: 13,122
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Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons

#23. Henderson County

- Homes built before 1939: 29.9%
- Homes built since 2000: 5.1%
- Median year built: 1971
- Total homes: 3,872
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Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons

#22. Brown County

- Homes built before 1939: 30.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 13.2%
- Median year built: 1966
- Total homes: 2,454
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#21. Edgar County

- Homes built before 1939: 30.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 9.9%
- Median year built: 1959
- Total homes: 8,827

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#20. Christian County

- Homes built before 1939: 30.4%
- Homes built since 2000: 9.2%
- Median year built: 1962
- Total homes: 15,592
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Calvin Beale // Wikimedia Commons

#19. Iroquois County

- Homes built before 1939: 30.5%
- Homes built since 2000: 8.3%
- Median year built: 1960
- Total homes: 13,514
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#18. Henry County

- Homes built before 1939: 30.8%
- Homes built since 2000: 6.9%
- Median year built: 1960
- Total homes: 22,168
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#17. Fulton County

- Homes built before 1939: 31.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 8.5%
- Median year built: 1959
- Total homes: 16,340
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Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons

#16. Calhoun County

- Homes built before 1939: 32.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 13.6%
- Median year built: 1967
- Total homes: 2,896

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Mingusboodle // Wikimedia Commons

#15. Pike County

- Homes built before 1939: 32.8%
- Homes built since 2000: 9.2%
- Median year built: 1961
- Total homes: 7,999
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IvoShandor // Wikimedia Commons

#14. Livingston County

- Homes built before 1939: 34.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 8.0%
- Median year built: 1958
- Total homes: 15,884
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IvoShandor // Wikimedia Commons

#13. Lee County

- Homes built before 1939: 34.5%
- Homes built since 2000: 8.4%
- Median year built: 1959
- Total homes: 15,086
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Kepper66 // Wikimedia Commons

#12. Bureau County

- Homes built before 1939: 34.9%
- Homes built since 2000: 8.4%
- Median year built: 1956
- Total homes: 15,679
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#11. Hancock County

- Homes built before 1939: 35.0%
- Homes built since 2000: 10.1%
- Median year built: 1962
- Total homes: 9,248

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#10. Stark County

- Homes built before 1939: 35.1%
- Homes built since 2000: 2.6%
- Median year built: 1955
- Total homes: 2,651
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#9. Ford County

- Homes built before 1939: 35.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 7.3%
- Median year built: 1955
- Total homes: 6,335
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#8. Knox County

- Homes built before 1939: 35.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 5.2%
- Median year built: 1956
- Total homes: 23,890
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#7. Stephenson County

- Homes built before 1939: 35.4%
- Homes built since 2000: 6.1%
- Median year built: 1958
- Total homes: 21,895
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Boscophotos // Wikimedia Commons

#6. Mercer County

- Homes built before 1939: 35.7%
- Homes built since 2000: 6.7%
- Median year built: 1957
- Total homes: 7,431

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Visviva // Wikimedia Commons

#5. Carroll County

- Homes built before 1939: 36.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 11.9%
- Median year built: 1957
- Total homes: 8,453
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Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons

#4. Warren County

- Homes built before 1939: 36.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 7.2%
- Median year built: 1954
- Total homes: 7,683
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Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons

#3. Vermilion County

- Homes built before 1939: 37.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 6.6%
- Median year built: 1955
- Total homes: 36,035
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Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons

#2. Scott County

- Homes built before 1939: 38.5%
- Homes built since 2000: 11.0%
- Median year built: 1956
- Total homes: 2,452
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Boscophotos // Wikimedia Commons

#1. Greene County

- Homes built before 1939: 40.8%
- Homes built since 2000: 6.4%
- Median year built: 1953
- Total homes: 6,425

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