Counties in Minnesota 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 Minnesota 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. Waseca County
- Homes built since 2000: 11.6%
- Median year built: 1969
- Total homes: 7,933
#29. Ramsey County
- Homes built since 2000: 9.5%
- Median year built: 1964
- Total homes: 221,092
#28. Houston County
- Homes built since 2000: 13.1%
- Median year built: 1970
- Total homes: 8,762
#27. Mower County
- Homes built since 2000: 11.0%
- Median year built: 1956
- Total homes: 17,100
#26. Chippewa County
- Homes built since 2000: 8.9%
- Median year built: 1958
- Total homes: 5,681
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#25. Freeborn County
- Homes built since 2000: 8.6%
- Median year built: 1959
- Total homes: 14,371
#24. Grant County
- Homes built since 2000: 15.9%
- Median year built: 1970
- Total homes: 3,308
#23. Murray County
- Homes built since 2000: 11.6%
- Median year built: 1964
- Total homes: 4,657
#22. St. Louis County
- Homes built since 2000: 12.4%
- Median year built: 1962
- Total homes: 105,010
#21. Pipestone County
- Homes built since 2000: 9.0%
- Median year built: 1960
- Total homes: 4,491
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#20. Swift County
- Homes built since 2000: 9.5%
- Median year built: 1958
- Total homes: 4,830
#19. Red Lake County
- Homes built since 2000: 13.1%
- Median year built: 1969
- Total homes: 1,940
#18. Rock County
- Homes built since 2000: 10.9%
- Median year built: 1958
- Total homes: 4,296
#17. Cottonwood County
- Homes built since 2000: 6.7%
- Median year built: 1957
- Total homes: 5,418
#16. Norman County
- Homes built since 2000: 8.7%
- Median year built: 1962
- Total homes: 3,434
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#15. Big Stone County
- Homes built since 2000: 8.9%
- Median year built: 1960
- Total homes: 3,124
#14. Winona County
- Homes built since 2000: 15.0%
- Median year built: 1971
- Total homes: 21,258
#13. Lincoln County
- Homes built since 2000: 11.7%
- Median year built: 1963
- Total homes: 3,150
#12. Sibley County
- Homes built since 2000: 12.9%
- Median year built: 1962
- Total homes: 6,606
#11. Martin County
- Homes built since 2000: 7.6%
- Median year built: 1956
- Total homes: 9,953
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#10. Brown County
- Homes built since 2000: 10.7%
- Median year built: 1960
- Total homes: 11,750
#9. Traverse County
- Homes built since 2000: 9.7%
- Median year built: 1960
- Total homes: 2,091
#8. Redwood County
- Homes built since 2000: 8.1%
- Median year built: 1957
- Total homes: 7,344
#7. Jackson County
- Homes built since 2000: 7.7%
- Median year built: 1957
- Total homes: 5,068
#6. Fillmore County
- Homes built since 2000: 18.4%
- Median year built: 1963
- Total homes: 10,002
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#5. Watonwan County
- Homes built since 2000: 8.5%
- Median year built: 1955
- Total homes: 5,054
#4. Yellow Medicine County
- Homes built since 2000: 7.1%
- Median year built: 1955
- Total homes: 4,763
#3. Renville County
- Homes built since 2000: 7.9%
- Median year built: 1956
- Total homes: 7,334
#2. Faribault County
- Homes built since 2000: 4.6%
- Median year built: 1952
- Total homes: 7,034
#1. Lac qui Parle County
- Homes built since 2000: 5.5%
- Median year built: 1950
- Total homes: 3,680
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