Counties in Iowa with the most pre-war homes

Written by:
June 22, 2022
Arina P Habich // Shutterstock

Counties in Iowa 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 Iowa 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. Franklin County

- Homes built before 1939: 37.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 4.4%
- Median year built: 1954
- Total homes: 4,846

#29. Des Moines County

- Homes built before 1939: 37.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 9.8%
- Median year built: 1956
- Total homes: 18,613

#28. Winneshiek County

- Homes built before 1939: 37.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 14.1%
- Median year built: 1958
- Total homes: 9,008

#27. Mitchell County

- Homes built before 1939: 37.8%
- Homes built since 2000: 10.1%
- Median year built: 1956
- Total homes: 4,987

#26. Fremont County

- Homes built before 1939: 37.9%
- Homes built since 2000: 8.0%
- Median year built: 1956
- Total homes: 3,444

#25. Cedar County

- Homes built before 1939: 38.1%
- Homes built since 2000: 15.3%
- Median year built: 1963
- Total homes: 8,244

#24. Cherokee County

- Homes built before 1939: 38.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 6.0%
- Median year built: 1953
- Total homes: 5,734

#23. Fayette County

- Homes built before 1939: 38.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 10.2%
- Median year built: 1955
- Total homes: 9,606

#22. Floyd County

- Homes built before 1939: 38.5%
- Homes built since 2000: 8.8%
- Median year built: 1956
- Total homes: 7,571

#21. Hamilton County

- Homes built before 1939: 38.7%
- Homes built since 2000: 7.5%
- Median year built: 1954
- Total homes: 7,199

#20. Shelby County

- Homes built before 1939: 39.0%
- Homes built since 2000: 6.8%
- Median year built: 1955
- Total homes: 5,567

#19. Butler County

- Homes built before 1939: 39.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 11.0%
- Median year built: 1954
- Total homes: 6,804

#18. Lee County

- Homes built before 1939: 39.4%
- Homes built since 2000: 8.5%
- Median year built: 1955
- Total homes: 16,235

#17. Crawford County

- Homes built before 1939: 40.1%
- Homes built since 2000: 6.9%
- Median year built: 1956
- Total homes: 7,068

#16. Pocahontas County

- Homes built before 1939: 40.1%
- Homes built since 2000: 2.2%
- Median year built: 1949
- Total homes: 3,657

#15. Sac County

- Homes built before 1939: 40.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 5.4%
- Median year built: 1951
- Total homes: 5,398

#14. Hardin County

- Homes built before 1939: 40.4%
- Homes built since 2000: 2.9%
- Median year built: 1951
- Total homes: 8,193

#13. Howard County

- Homes built before 1939: 40.7%
- Homes built since 2000: 10.4%
- Median year built: 1949
- Total homes: 4,376

#12. Greene County

- Homes built before 1939: 40.8%
- Homes built since 2000: 6.9%
- Median year built: 1952
- Total homes: 4,546

#11. Worth County

- Homes built before 1939: 41.1%
- Homes built since 2000: 5.9%
- Median year built: 1951
- Total homes: 3,519

#10. Cass County

- Homes built before 1939: 41.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 6.6%
- Median year built: 1953
- Total homes: 6,583

#9. Monona County

- Homes built before 1939: 41.8%
- Homes built since 2000: 9.3%
- Median year built: 1952
- Total homes: 4,723

#8. Tama County

- Homes built before 1939: 42.1%
- Homes built since 2000: 10.1%
- Median year built: 1952
- Total homes: 7,788

#7. Audubon County

- Homes built before 1939: 42.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 5.9%
- Median year built: 1950
- Total homes: 2,988

#6. Taylor County

- Homes built before 1939: 42.5%
- Homes built since 2000: 8.6%
- Median year built: 1950
- Total homes: 3,105

#5. Ida County

- Homes built before 1939: 43.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 6.1%
- Median year built: 1949
- Total homes: 3,450

#4. Montgomery County

- Homes built before 1939: 43.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 3.8%
- Median year built: 1949
- Total homes: 5,220

#3. Harrison County

- Homes built before 1939: 45.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 9.3%
- Median year built: 1950
- Total homes: 6,837

#2. Keokuk County

- Homes built before 1939: 46.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 8.5%
- Median year built: 1947
- Total homes: 4,880

#1. Adams County

- Homes built before 1939: 46.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 9.8%
- Median year built: 1944
- Total homes: 2,011

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