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.

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Ali Eminov // Flickr

#30. Butler County

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

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Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons

#29. Dawes County

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

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Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons

#28. Cedar County

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

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Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons

#27. Garfield County

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

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Coemgenus // Wikimedia Commons

#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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Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons

#25. Deuel County

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

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Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons

#24. Dixon County

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

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Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons

#23. Clay County

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

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Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons

#22. Sheridan County

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

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Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons

#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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Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons

#20. Custer County

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

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Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons

#19. Burt County

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

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Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons

#18. Sherman County

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

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Jared Winkler // Wikimedia Commons

#17. Thayer County

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

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Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons

#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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The Crumpled Pamphlet // Wikimedia Commons

#15. Fillmore County

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

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Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons

#14. Nuckolls County

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

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Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons

#13. Boone County

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

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Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons

#12. Webster County

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

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Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons

#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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Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons

#10. Nance County

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

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Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons

#9. Furnas County

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

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Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons

#8. Johnson County

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

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Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons

#7. Jefferson County

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

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Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons

#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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Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons

#5. Hayes County

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

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Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons

#4. Franklin County

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

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Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons

#3. Richardson County

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

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Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons

#2. Pawnee County

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

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Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#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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