Counties in New York with the most pre-war homes

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June 22, 2022
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Counties in New York 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 New York 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. Essex County

- Homes built before 1939: 32.0%
- Homes built since 2000: 14.4%
- Median year built: 1965
- Total homes: 26,390
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North woodsman // Shutterstock

#29. Lewis County

- Homes built before 1939: 32.1%
- Homes built since 2000: 13.8%
- Median year built: 1971
- Total homes: 15,766
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Lamar Gore/USFWS // Wikimedia Commons

#28. Schuyler County

- Homes built before 1939: 32.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 10.6%
- Median year built: 1967
- Total homes: 9,852
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Daniel Case // Wikimedia Commons

#27. Columbia County

- Homes built before 1939: 32.4%
- Homes built since 2000: 10.7%
- Median year built: 1965
- Total homes: 33,622
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Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

#26. Jefferson County

- Homes built before 1939: 33.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 14.7%
- Median year built: 1970
- Total homes: 60,119

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Matt H. Wade // Wikimedia Commons

#25. Rensselaer County

- Homes built before 1939: 33.7%
- Homes built since 2000: 12.7%
- Median year built: 1961
- Total homes: 73,251
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Nina Alizada // Shutterstock

#24. Oneida County

- Homes built before 1939: 34.1%
- Homes built since 2000: 6.8%
- Median year built: 1956
- Total homes: 105,459
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Lvklock // Wikimedia Commons

#23. Chemung County

- Homes built before 1939: 34.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 6.1%
- Median year built: 1955
- Total homes: 38,983
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Marduk // Wikimedia Commons

#22. Steuben County

- Homes built before 1939: 34.4%
- Homes built since 2000: 10.0%
- Median year built: 1962
- Total homes: 49,688
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UpstateNYer // Wikimedia Commons

#21. Schenectady County

- Homes built before 1939: 34.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 8.3%
- Median year built: 1954
- Total homes: 69,885

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Colgate University // Wikimedia Commons

#20. Madison County

- Homes built before 1939: 34.8%
- Homes built since 2000: 10.5%
- Median year built: 1962
- Total homes: 32,381
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Pubdog // Wikimedia Commons

#19. Cattaraugus County

- Homes built before 1939: 34.8%
- Homes built since 2000: 9.6%
- Median year built: 1961
- Total homes: 41,681
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marjobani // Wikimedia Commons

#18. Seneca County

- Homes built before 1939: 34.9%
- Homes built since 2000: 10.4%
- Median year built: 1957
- Total homes: 16,409
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Daniel Case // Wikimedia Commons

#17. Chenango County

- Homes built before 1939: 35.1%
- Homes built since 2000: 9.7%
- Median year built: 1964
- Total homes: 25,818
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#16. Yates County

- Homes built before 1939: 36.1%
- Homes built since 2000: 11.1%
- Median year built: 1963
- Total homes: 13,919

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Mwanner // Wikimedia Commons

#15. Franklin County

- Homes built before 1939: 36.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 9.5%
- Median year built: 1962
- Total homes: 25,835
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Beyond My Ken // Wikimedia Commons

#14. Fulton County

- Homes built before 1939: 36.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 7.9%
- Median year built: 1954
- Total homes: 29,148
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UpstateNYer // Wikimedia Commons

#13. Washington County

- Homes built before 1939: 36.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 12.4%
- Median year built: 1960
- Total homes: 29,562
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Gryffindor // Wikimedia Commons

#12. Bronx

- Homes built before 1939: 37.5%
- Homes built since 2000: 8.6%
- Median year built: 1952
- Total homes: 533,434
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PQK // Shuterstock

#11. Cayuga County

- Homes built before 1939: 38.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 9.5%
- Median year built: 1956
- Total homes: 37,131

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Andre Carrotflower // Wikimedia Commons

#10. Chautauqua County

- Homes built before 1939: 38.7%
- Homes built since 2000: 7.0%
- Median year built: 1953
- Total homes: 67,656
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Daniel Case // Wikimedia Commons

#9. Genesee County

- Homes built before 1939: 39.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 6.6%
- Median year built: 1956
- Total homes: 25,826
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Stef Ko // Shutterstock

#8. Cortland County

- Homes built before 1939: 40.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 5.4%
- Median year built: 1956
- Total homes: 20,806
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Kenneth C. Zirkel // Wikimedia Commons

#7. Wyoming County

- Homes built before 1939: 41.4%
- Homes built since 2000: 6.5%
- Median year built: 1955
- Total homes: 18,297
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Kenneth Sponsler // Shutterstock

#6. Otsego County

- Homes built before 1939: 42.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 10.6%
- Median year built: 1956
- Total homes: 31,300

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Doug Kerr from Upstate New York // Wikimedia Commons

#5. Herkimer County

- Homes built before 1939: 42.4%
- Homes built since 2000: 8.7%
- Median year built: 1952
- Total homes: 33,850
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pisaphotography // Shutterstock

#4. Manhattan

- Homes built before 1939: 42.7%
- Homes built since 2000: 9.9%
- Median year built: 1939
- Total homes: 884,828
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Jimmy Emerson // Wikimedia Commons

#3. Orleans County

- Homes built before 1939: 44.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 5.8%
- Median year built: 1952
- Total homes: 18,576
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Jwilson855 // Wikimedia Commons

#2. Montgomery County

- Homes built before 1939: 45.1%
- Homes built since 2000: 6.0%
- Median year built: 1945
- Total homes: 23,529
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Victor Moussa // Shutterstock

#1. Brooklyn

- Homes built before 1939: 50.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 9.2%
- Median year built: 1939
- Total homes: 1,055,660

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