Counties in Indiana 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 Indiana 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. Vigo County
- Homes built since 2000: 13.5%
- Median year built: 1969
- Total homes: 47,351
#29. Shelby County
- Homes built since 2000: 13.1%
- Median year built: 1968
- Total homes: 19,395
#28. Adams County
- Homes built since 2000: 14.3%
- Median year built: 1970
- Total homes: 13,328
#27. Newton County
- Homes built since 2000: 11.3%
- Median year built: 1969
- Total homes: 6,101
#26. Clay County
- Homes built since 2000: 16.2%
- Median year built: 1971
- Total homes: 11,773
#25. Montgomery County
- Homes built since 2000: 14.1%
- Median year built: 1967
- Total homes: 16,709
#24. DeKalb County
- Homes built since 2000: 16.6%
- Median year built: 1974
- Total homes: 18,162
#23. Noble County
- Homes built since 2000: 12.6%
- Median year built: 1974
- Total homes: 20,659
#22. Carroll County
- Homes built since 2000: 11.9%
- Median year built: 1965
- Total homes: 9,643
#21. Pulaski County
- Homes built since 2000: 10.7%
- Median year built: 1966
- Total homes: 6,119
#20. Wayne County
- Homes built since 2000: 7.1%
- Median year built: 1960
- Total homes: 31,446
#19. Knox County
- Homes built since 2000: 9.6%
- Median year built: 1964
- Total homes: 17,155
#18. Fulton County
- Homes built since 2000: 11.0%
- Median year built: 1966
- Total homes: 9,743
#17. Henry County
- Homes built since 2000: 8.5%
- Median year built: 1959
- Total homes: 21,233
#16. Union County
- Homes built since 2000: 10.9%
- Median year built: 1970
- Total homes: 3,266
#15. Wells County
- Homes built since 2000: 14.0%
- Median year built: 1970
- Total homes: 11,923
#14. Warren County
- Homes built since 2000: 11.1%
- Median year built: 1967
- Total homes: 3,760
#13. Fountain County
- Homes built since 2000: 9.9%
- Median year built: 1963
- Total homes: 7,937
#12. Tipton County
- Homes built since 2000: 7.1%
- Median year built: 1962
- Total homes: 7,021
#11. Blackford County
- Homes built since 2000: 6.1%
- Median year built: 1959
- Total homes: 6,013
#10. Vermillion County
- Homes built since 2000: 11.0%
- Median year built: 1962
- Total homes: 7,512
#9. Wabash County
- Homes built since 2000: 9.5%
- Median year built: 1960
- Total homes: 14,162
#8. Clinton County
- Homes built since 2000: 7.5%
- Median year built: 1957
- Total homes: 13,376
#7. Jay County
- Homes built since 2000: 9.1%
- Median year built: 1960
- Total homes: 9,253
#6. Cass County
- Homes built since 2000: 6.0%
- Median year built: 1954
- Total homes: 16,362
#5. Miami County
- Homes built since 2000: 6.2%
- Median year built: 1958
- Total homes: 15,398
#4. Huntington County
- Homes built since 2000: 11.8%
- Median year built: 1959
- Total homes: 16,110
#3. Benton County
- Homes built since 2000: 6.3%
- Median year built: 1953
- Total homes: 3,917
#2. Randolph County
- Homes built since 2000: 7.9%
- Median year built: 1952
- Total homes: 11,711
#1. Rush County
- Homes built since 2000: 8.4%
- Median year built: 1952
- Total homes: 7,503