Counties with the oldest homes in New York
Counties with the oldest homes in New York
There's an undeniable charm that comes with pre-World War II American architecture, characterized by high ceilings, crown molding, hardwood floors, and ornate details. In fact, 12.8% of all housing units in America were built in 1939 or before, showing the popularity of the preservation of these units. Owning a piece of history can sometimes come with a cost: Many old homes come with asbestos, lead piping, knob-and-tube wiring, and other outdated building styles that can rack up a hefty price tag to modernize. However, with more and more modernized pre-war homes on the market, generally located just outside bustling downtown metros, investing in property that has withstood the test of time is an attractive prospect.
Stacker compiled a list of the counties in New York with the oldest homes using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by median year the structure was built, with ties broken by the most homes before 1939.
The country’s domestic architecture is perhaps best characterized by a rugged individualism as opposed to the hybridization of disparate architectural elements. As Maya Angelou once perceptively observed, "the ache for home lives in all of us," a phrase that has meant very different things to different people.
Modest or palatial, there is no shortage of noteworthy homes in the U.S. Log cabins constructed by industrious pioneers have dotted the landscape alongside traditional Native American dwellings ever since immigrant Swedes introduced them to the New World in 1638. The unprecedented personal fortunes amassed by the so-called "Robber Barons" at the close of the 19th century gave way to the construction of a staggering number of Gilded Age estates.
The ravages of time spared neither the sumptuous nor the humble. Stately mansions, often prohibitively costly to maintain in the modern era, were frequently neglected; simple structures were forgotten, discarded by their owners, and damaged by natural elements. However, the tireless efforts of architectural preservationists and local historical societies have saved many of these homes from demolition, leading to their inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places and thereby safeguarding them for future generations.
Keep reading to learn more about which counties in New York have the oldest homes.
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#30. Steuben County
--- #409 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 34.6%
--- #219 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 49,585
#29. Washington County
--- #408 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 36.5%
--- #169 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 29,487

#28. Onondaga County
--- #390 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 23.4%
--- #730 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 208,376
#27. St. Lawrence County
--- #367 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 31.6%
--- #331 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 53,194
#26. Cattaraugus County
--- #355 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 34.4%
--- #225 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 41,596

#25. Albany County
--- #330 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 30.5%
--- #377 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 141,553
#24. Rensselaer County
--- #319 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 35.1%
--- #210 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 73,011

#23. Broome County
--- #230 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 29.6%
--- #415 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 90,946
#22. Seneca County
--- #215 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 34.6%
--- #220 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 16,361

#21. Westchester County
--- #197 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 30.8%
--- #364 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 374,923

#20. Erie County
--- #195 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 31.1%
--- #348 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 428,362

#19. Cayuga County
--- #174 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 38.5%
--- #124 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 37,077
#18. Genesee County
--- #173 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 39.0%
--- #111 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 25,797

#17. Nassau County
--- #167 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 19.9%
--- #934 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 472,572

#16. Niagara County
--- #160 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 32.3%
--- #297 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 100,373

#15. Oneida County
--- #155 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 35.1%
--- #209 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 105,267
#14. Fulton County
--- #149 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 36.3%
--- #173 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 29,112

#13. Otsego County
--- #138 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 42.6%
--- #47 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 31,232
#12. Chemung County
--- #131 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 35.8%
--- #192 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 38,870
#11. Schenectady County
--- #110 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 35.8%
--- #193 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 69,615
#10. Herkimer County
--- #94 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 41.6%
--- #65 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 33,831

#9. Cortland County
--- #90 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 43.0%
--- #39 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 20,737
#8. Wyoming County
--- #88 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 43.5%
--- #34 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 18,208
#7. Queens County
--- #87 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 31.7%
--- #323 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 859,529
#6. Chautauqua County
--- #84 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 38.5%
--- #122 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 67,645
#5. Orleans County
--- #71 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 44.0%
--- #31 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 18,584
#4. Bronx County
--- #67 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 38.5%
--- #123 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 529,796

#3. New York County
--- #44 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 42.7%
--- #46 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 880,085
#2. Montgomery County
--- #19 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 45.7%
--- #20 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 23,496

#1. Kings County
--- #4 oldest among all counties nationwide
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 51.0%
--- #4 most among all counties nationwide
- Number of homes: 1.0 million