Counties in Nebraska with the most pre-war homes

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

Counties in Nebraska 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 Nebraska 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.

You may also like: Highest-rated breweries in Nebraska

#30. Butler County

- Homes built before 1939: 37.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 11.2%
- Median year built: 1965
- Total homes: 4,066

#29. Dawes County

- Homes built before 1939: 38.1%
- Homes built since 2000: 9.2%
- Median year built: 1954
- Total homes: 4,239

#28. Cedar County

- Homes built before 1939: 38.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 10.0%
- Median year built: 1955
- Total homes: 4,173

#27. Garfield County

- Homes built before 1939: 38.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 11.3%
- Median year built: 1956
- Total homes: 1,192

#26. Keya Paha County

- Homes built before 1939: 38.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 11.8%
- Median year built: 1959
- Total homes: 533

You may also like: Too much and too little water: How climate change has affected Nebraska

#25. Deuel County

- Homes built before 1939: 39.0%
- Homes built since 2000: 3.4%
- Median year built: 1948
- Total homes: 1,049

#24. Dixon County

- Homes built before 1939: 39.8%
- Homes built since 2000: 6.6%
- Median year built: 1954
- Total homes: 2,711

#23. Clay County

- Homes built before 1939: 39.8%
- Homes built since 2000: 5.1%
- Median year built: 1952
- Total homes: 3,007

#22. Sheridan County

- Homes built before 1939: 40.5%
- Homes built since 2000: 4.3%
- Median year built: 1951
- Total homes: 2,919

#21. Boyd County

- Homes built before 1939: 40.7%
- Homes built since 2000: 5.9%
- Median year built: 1955
- Total homes: 1,364

You may also like: Nebraska is the #10 state with the fewest rural hospital closures since 2005

#20. Custer County

- Homes built before 1939: 41.0%
- Homes built since 2000: 8.6%
- Median year built: 1952
- Total homes: 5,666

#19. Burt County

- Homes built before 1939: 41.1%
- Homes built since 2000: 11.1%
- Median year built: 1953
- Total homes: 3,469

#18. Sherman County

- Homes built before 1939: 41.5%
- Homes built since 2000: 9.6%
- Median year built: 1952
- Total homes: 1,947

#17. Thayer County

- Homes built before 1939: 41.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 5.9%
- Median year built: 1952
- Total homes: 2,757

#16. Valley County

- Homes built before 1939: 42.0%
- Homes built since 2000: 10.4%
- Median year built: 1948
- Total homes: 2,260

You may also like: Counties with the highest COVID-19 death rate in Nebraska

#15. Fillmore County

- Homes built before 1939: 43.0%
- Homes built since 2000: 5.5%
- Median year built: 1952
- Total homes: 2,933

#14. Nuckolls County

- Homes built before 1939: 43.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 4.0%
- Median year built: 1951
- Total homes: 2,456

#13. Boone County

- Homes built before 1939: 43.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 6.3%
- Median year built: 1950
- Total homes: 2,634

#12. Webster County

- Homes built before 1939: 43.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 10.4%
- Median year built: 1950
- Total homes: 1,902

#11. Nemaha County

- Homes built before 1939: 43.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 8.7%
- Median year built: 1950
- Total homes: 3,496

You may also like: Counties with the lowest hospital bed capacity in Nebraska

#10. Nance County

- Homes built before 1939: 44.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 7.9%
- Median year built: 1946
- Total homes: 1,870

#9. Furnas County

- Homes built before 1939: 44.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 5.3%
- Median year built: 1945
- Total homes: 2,690

#8. Johnson County

- Homes built before 1939: 44.9%
- Homes built since 2000: 9.3%
- Median year built: 1952
- Total homes: 2,182

#7. Jefferson County

- Homes built before 1939: 45.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 5.2%
- Median year built: 1946
- Total homes: 3,903

#6. Greeley County

- Homes built before 1939: 45.7%
- Homes built since 2000: 9.9%
- Median year built: 1949
- Total homes: 1,315

You may also like: Counties with the worst commutes in Nebraska

#5. Hayes County

- Homes built before 1939: 46.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 6.3%
- Median year built: 1948
- Total homes: 525

#4. Franklin County

- Homes built before 1939: 46.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 2.1%
- Median year built: 1948
- Total homes: 1,709

#3. Richardson County

- Homes built before 1939: 46.5%
- Homes built since 2000: 6.7%
- Median year built: 1944
- Total homes: 4,411

#2. Pawnee County

- Homes built before 1939: 49.9%
- Homes built since 2000: 7.7%
- Median year built: 1940
- Total homes: 1,632

#1. Sioux County

- Homes built before 1939: 50.9%
- Homes built since 2000: 7.9%
- Median year built: 1939
- Total homes: 811

You may also like: Where people in Nebraska are moving to most

Trending Now