Counties in Nebraska with the most pre-war homes
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.
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#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
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#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
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#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
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#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
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#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
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#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
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