Counties in Kentucky with the most pre-war homes

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June 22, 2022
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Counties in Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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. Woodford County

- Homes built before 1939: 11.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 18.8%
- Median year built: 1984
- Total homes: 11,230

#29. Lincoln County

- Homes built before 1939: 11.7%
- Homes built since 2000: 24.7%
- Median year built: 1984
- Total homes: 11,055

#28. Boyle County

- Homes built before 1939: 11.8%
- Homes built since 2000: 17.0%
- Median year built: 1977
- Total homes: 12,517

#27. Carlisle County

- Homes built before 1939: 12.0%
- Homes built since 2000: 14.0%
- Median year built: 1977
- Total homes: 2,471

#26. Owen County

- Homes built before 1939: 12.1%
- Homes built since 2000: 18.6%
- Median year built: 1984
- Total homes: 5,753

#25. Hopkins County

- Homes built before 1939: 12.4%
- Homes built since 2000: 14.4%
- Median year built: 1976
- Total homes: 21,490

#24. Larue County

- Homes built before 1939: 12.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 20.6%
- Median year built: 1983
- Total homes: 6,403

#23. Green County

- Homes built before 1939: 12.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 15.0%
- Median year built: 1976
- Total homes: 5,337

#22. Washington County

- Homes built before 1939: 12.9%
- Homes built since 2000: 29.2%
- Median year built: 1988
- Total homes: 5,206

#21. Estill County

- Homes built before 1939: 12.9%
- Homes built since 2000: 11.2%
- Median year built: 1978
- Total homes: 6,929

#20. Letcher County

- Homes built before 1939: 13.1%
- Homes built since 2000: 17.0%
- Median year built: 1978
- Total homes: 11,808

#19. Boyd County

- Homes built before 1939: 13.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 8.8%
- Median year built: 1970
- Total homes: 21,649

#18. Logan County

- Homes built before 1939: 13.7%
- Homes built since 2000: 11.5%
- Median year built: 1974
- Total homes: 12,361

#17. McLean County

- Homes built before 1939: 14.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 11.5%
- Median year built: 1976
- Total homes: 4,285

#16. Harlan County

- Homes built before 1939: 14.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 11.2%
- Median year built: 1975
- Total homes: 13,583

#15. Jefferson County

- Homes built before 1939: 14.5%
- Homes built since 2000: 14.9%
- Median year built: 1969
- Total homes: 347,172

#14. Union County

- Homes built before 1939: 15.5%
- Homes built since 2000: 10.9%
- Median year built: 1974
- Total homes: 6,246

#13. Henry County

- Homes built before 1939: 15.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 19.1%
- Median year built: 1977
- Total homes: 6,791

#12. Pendleton County

- Homes built before 1939: 15.7%
- Homes built since 2000: 20.7%
- Median year built: 1982
- Total homes: 6,381

#11. Webster County

- Homes built before 1939: 16.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 11.1%
- Median year built: 1974
- Total homes: 5,979

#10. Mason County

- Homes built before 1939: 16.5%
- Homes built since 2000: 18.5%
- Median year built: 1973
- Total homes: 8,168

#9. Carroll County

- Homes built before 1939: 17.1%
- Homes built since 2000: 15.5%
- Median year built: 1984
- Total homes: 4,730

#8. Harrison County

- Homes built before 1939: 17.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 21.9%
- Median year built: 1982
- Total homes: 8,315

#7. Mercer County

- Homes built before 1939: 18.7%
- Homes built since 2000: 14.1%
- Median year built: 1975
- Total homes: 10,195

#6. Bourbon County

- Homes built before 1939: 19.7%
- Homes built since 2000: 20.7%
- Median year built: 1975
- Total homes: 9,085

#5. Kenton County

- Homes built before 1939: 20.4%
- Homes built since 2000: 15.8%
- Median year built: 1973
- Total homes: 69,790

#4. Nicholas County

- Homes built before 1939: 24.1%
- Homes built since 2000: 15.4%
- Median year built: 1973
- Total homes: 3,293

#3. Robertson County

- Homes built before 1939: 24.8%
- Homes built since 2000: 20.9%
- Median year built: 1969
- Total homes: 1,106

#2. Campbell County

- Homes built before 1939: 27.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 15.9%
- Median year built: 1968
- Total homes: 40,533

#1. Bracken County

- Homes built before 1939: 29.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 18.2%
- Median year built: 1972
- Total homes: 3,860

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