
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 since 2000: 14.4%
- Median year built: 1965
- Total homes: 26,390

#29. Lewis County
- Homes built since 2000: 13.8%
- Median year built: 1971
- Total homes: 15,766
#28. Schuyler County
- Homes built since 2000: 10.6%
- Median year built: 1967
- Total homes: 9,852
#27. Columbia County
- Homes built since 2000: 10.7%
- Median year built: 1965
- Total homes: 33,622

#26. Jefferson County
- Homes built since 2000: 14.7%
- Median year built: 1970
- Total homes: 60,119
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#25. Rensselaer County
- Homes built since 2000: 12.7%
- Median year built: 1961
- Total homes: 73,251

#24. Oneida County
- Homes built since 2000: 6.8%
- Median year built: 1956
- Total homes: 105,459
#23. Chemung County
- Homes built since 2000: 6.1%
- Median year built: 1955
- Total homes: 38,983
#22. Steuben County
- Homes built since 2000: 10.0%
- Median year built: 1962
- Total homes: 49,688
#21. Schenectady County
- Homes built since 2000: 8.3%
- Median year built: 1954
- Total homes: 69,885
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#20. Madison County
- Homes built since 2000: 10.5%
- Median year built: 1962
- Total homes: 32,381
#19. Cattaraugus County
- Homes built since 2000: 9.6%
- Median year built: 1961
- Total homes: 41,681
#18. Seneca County
- Homes built since 2000: 10.4%
- Median year built: 1957
- Total homes: 16,409
#17. Chenango County
- Homes built since 2000: 9.7%
- Median year built: 1964
- Total homes: 25,818

#16. Yates County
- Homes built since 2000: 11.1%
- Median year built: 1963
- Total homes: 13,919
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#15. Franklin County
- Homes built since 2000: 9.5%
- Median year built: 1962
- Total homes: 25,835
#14. Fulton County
- Homes built since 2000: 7.9%
- Median year built: 1954
- Total homes: 29,148
#13. Washington County
- Homes built since 2000: 12.4%
- Median year built: 1960
- Total homes: 29,562
#12. Bronx
- Homes built since 2000: 8.6%
- Median year built: 1952
- Total homes: 533,434

#11. Cayuga County
- Homes built since 2000: 9.5%
- Median year built: 1956
- Total homes: 37,131
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#10. Chautauqua County
- Homes built since 2000: 7.0%
- Median year built: 1953
- Total homes: 67,656
#9. Genesee County
- Homes built since 2000: 6.6%
- Median year built: 1956
- Total homes: 25,826

#8. Cortland County
- Homes built since 2000: 5.4%
- Median year built: 1956
- Total homes: 20,806
#7. Wyoming County
- Homes built since 2000: 6.5%
- Median year built: 1955
- Total homes: 18,297

#6. Otsego County
- Homes built since 2000: 10.6%
- Median year built: 1956
- Total homes: 31,300
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#5. Herkimer County
- Homes built since 2000: 8.7%
- Median year built: 1952
- Total homes: 33,850

#4. Manhattan
- Homes built since 2000: 9.9%
- Median year built: 1939
- Total homes: 884,828
#3. Orleans County
- Homes built since 2000: 5.8%
- Median year built: 1952
- Total homes: 18,576
#2. Montgomery County
- Homes built since 2000: 6.0%
- Median year built: 1945
- Total homes: 23,529

#1. Brooklyn
- Homes built since 2000: 9.2%
- Median year built: 1939
- Total homes: 1,055,660
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