
Counties in Maryland 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 Maryland 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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#24. Howard County
- Homes built since 2000: 24.3%
- Median year built: 1988
- Total homes: 120,834
#23. Charles County
- Homes built since 2000: 30.9%
- Median year built: 1990
- Total homes: 61,226
#22. St. Mary's County
- Homes built since 2000: 31.4%
- Median year built: 1990
- Total homes: 45,867
#21. Calvert County
- Homes built since 2000: 23.9%
- Median year built: 1990
- Total homes: 35,421
#20. Prince George's County
- Homes built since 2000: 15.6%
- Median year built: 1976
- Total homes: 334,407
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#19. Montgomery County
- Homes built since 2000: 16.7%
- Median year built: 1979
- Total homes: 390,475

#18. Anne Arundel County
- Homes built since 2000: 19.9%
- Median year built: 1982
- Total homes: 226,330
#17. Worcester County
- Homes built since 2000: 19.4%
- Median year built: 1984
- Total homes: 56,485
#16. Harford County
- Homes built since 2000: 21.3%
- Median year built: 1985
- Total homes: 100,952
#15. Baltimore County
- Homes built since 2000: 11.7%
- Median year built: 1972
- Total homes: 337,580
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#14. Queen Anne's County
- Homes built since 2000: 27.2%
- Median year built: 1987
- Total homes: 21,363
#13. Cecil County
- Homes built since 2000: 25.2%
- Median year built: 1986
- Total homes: 42,690

#12. Wicomico County
- Homes built since 2000: 23.4%
- Median year built: 1982
- Total homes: 42,452
#11. Frederick County
- Homes built since 2000: 25.4%
- Median year built: 1987
- Total homes: 99,179
#10. Carroll County
- Homes built since 2000: 17.6%
- Median year built: 1982
- Total homes: 63,767
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#9. Garrett County
- Homes built since 2000: 20.9%
- Median year built: 1982
- Total homes: 19,428
#8. Talbot County
- Homes built since 2000: 18.4%
- Median year built: 1981
- Total homes: 20,252
#7. Caroline County
- Homes built since 2000: 18.4%
- Median year built: 1980
- Total homes: 13,645
#6. Somerset County
- Homes built since 2000: 21.1%
- Median year built: 1978
- Total homes: 11,476
#5. Washington County
- Homes built since 2000: 17.3%
- Median year built: 1974
- Total homes: 61,621
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#4. Dorchester County
- Homes built since 2000: 21.1%
- Median year built: 1974
- Total homes: 16,754
#3. Kent County
- Homes built since 2000: 17.5%
- Median year built: 1976
- Total homes: 10,687

#2. Allegany County
- Homes built since 2000: 6.3%
- Median year built: 1957
- Total homes: 32,823

#1. Baltimore
- Homes built since 2000: 6.4%
- Median year built: 1945
- Total homes: 293,936