Counties in Kansas 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 Kansas 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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#30. Chautauqua County
- Homes built before 1939: 35.4%
- Homes built since 2000: 8.9%
- Median year built: 1962
- Total homes: 2,144
#29. Clark County
- Homes built before 1939: 35.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 8.1%
- Median year built: 1955
- Total homes: 1,171
#28. Marshall County
- Homes built before 1939: 35.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 10.7%
- Median year built: 1955
- Total homes: 4,925
#27. Morris County
- Homes built before 1939: 36.0%
- Homes built since 2000: 8.7%
- Median year built: 1955
- Total homes: 3,212
#26. Greenwood County
- Homes built before 1939: 36.4%
- Homes built since 2000: 9.6%
- Median year built: 1956
- Total homes: 4,032
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#25. Brown County
- Homes built before 1939: 36.5%
- Homes built since 2000: 8.4%
- Median year built: 1959
- Total homes: 4,748
#24. Cheyenne County
- Homes built before 1939: 36.8%
- Homes built since 2000: 5.6%
- Median year built: 1950
- Total homes: 1,511
#23. Chase County
- Homes built before 1939: 36.9%
- Homes built since 2000: 9.2%
- Median year built: 1957
- Total homes: 1,492
#22. Ellsworth County
- Homes built before 1939: 37.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 6.2%
- Median year built: 1956
- Total homes: 3,232
#21. Atchison County
- Homes built before 1939: 37.4%
- Homes built since 2000: 9.2%
- Median year built: 1961
- Total homes: 6,959
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#20. Wabaunsee County
- Homes built before 1939: 37.7%
- Homes built since 2000: 15.7%
- Median year built: 1966
- Total homes: 3,312
#19. Decatur County
- Homes built before 1939: 37.8%
- Homes built since 2000: 4.8%
- Median year built: 1953
- Total homes: 1,795
#18. Woodson County
- Homes built before 1939: 37.8%
- Homes built since 2000: 9.0%
- Median year built: 1955
- Total homes: 2,025
#17. Stafford County
- Homes built before 1939: 38.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 4.0%
- Median year built: 1952
- Total homes: 2,339
#16. Rush County
- Homes built before 1939: 38.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 3.7%
- Median year built: 1952
- Total homes: 1,867
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#15. Dickinson County
- Homes built before 1939: 39.0%
- Homes built since 2000: 9.0%
- Median year built: 1953
- Total homes: 9,180
#14. Mitchell County
- Homes built before 1939: 39.1%
- Homes built since 2000: 12.3%
- Median year built: 1952
- Total homes: 3,301
#13. Elk County
- Homes built before 1939: 39.4%
- Homes built since 2000: 8.6%
- Median year built: 1955
- Total homes: 1,754
#12. Edwards County
- Homes built before 1939: 40.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 5.9%
- Median year built: 1950
- Total homes: 1,622
#11. Washington County
- Homes built before 1939: 41.9%
- Homes built since 2000: 7.0%
- Median year built: 1950
- Total homes: 2,940
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#10. Rawlins County
- Homes built before 1939: 42.1%
- Homes built since 2000: 5.3%
- Median year built: 1951
- Total homes: 1,407
#9. Smith County
- Homes built before 1939: 42.4%
- Homes built since 2000: 5.9%
- Median year built: 1950
- Total homes: 2,230
#8. Ottawa County
- Homes built before 1939: 43.0%
- Homes built since 2000: 11.8%
- Median year built: 1955
- Total homes: 2,777
#7. Osborne County
- Homes built before 1939: 43.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 2.9%
- Median year built: 1946
- Total homes: 2,170
#6. Clay County
- Homes built before 1939: 45.8%
- Homes built since 2000: 5.7%
- Median year built: 1946
- Total homes: 4,097
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#5. Republic County
- Homes built before 1939: 46.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 5.5%
- Median year built: 1943
- Total homes: 2,865
#4. Jewell County
- Homes built before 1939: 46.5%
- Homes built since 2000: 6.7%
- Median year built: 1944
- Total homes: 2,015
#3. Cloud County
- Homes built before 1939: 48.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 2.5%
- Median year built: 1942
- Total homes: 4,588
#2. Comanche County
- Homes built before 1939: 49.9%
- Homes built since 2000: 6.3%
- Median year built: 1940
- Total homes: 1,043
#1. Lincoln County
- Homes built before 1939: 55.1%
- Homes built since 2000: 5.1%
- Median year built: 1939
- Total homes: 1,848
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