Boroughs with the oldest homes in Alaska

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September 25, 2025
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Boroughs with the oldest homes in Alaska

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, 11.4% 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history can sometimes come with a cost: Many old homes come with asbestos, lead piping, knob-and-tube wiring, and other outdated building styles that can rack up a hefty price tag to modernize.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 boroughs in Alaska with the oldest homes using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Boroughs are ranked by median year the structure was built according to 2023 5-year estimates. Ties broken by the highest percentage of homes built 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 boroughs in Alaska have the oldest homes.

#30. Matanuska-Susitna Borough

- Median year homes built: 1996
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 0.5% (270 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.0% (511 homes)
- Total homes built: 50,922

#29. Kenai Peninsula Borough

- Median year homes built: 1989
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 1.0% (328 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.1% (366 homes)
- Total homes built: 32,707

#28. Denali Borough

- Median year homes built: 1989
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 2.2% (29 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (5 homes)
- Total homes built: 1,306

#27. Kusilvak Census Area

- Median year homes built: 1988
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 0.2% (5 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.2% (28 homes)
- Total homes built: 2,341

#26. Bethel Census Area

- Median year homes built: 1988
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 0.5% (29 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (11 homes)
- Total homes built: 6,009

#25. Southeast Fairbanks Census Area

- Median year homes built: 1988
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 0.7% (24 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (9 homes)
- Total homes built: 3,520

#24. Aleutians West Census Area

- Median year homes built: 1988
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 2.4% (33 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (6 homes)
- Total homes built: 1,391

#23. Haines Borough

- Median year homes built: 1988
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.6% (93 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.4% (20 homes)
- Total homes built: 1,401

#22. Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area

- Median year homes built: 1986
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 4.5% (147 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (14 homes)
- Total homes built: 3,237

#21. Kodiak Island Borough

- Median year homes built: 1985
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 0.2% (9 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.8% (104 homes)
- Total homes built: 5,840

#20. Northwest Arctic Borough

- Median year homes built: 1985
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 0.2% (6 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Total homes built: 2,744

#19. Dillingham Census Area

- Median year homes built: 1985
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 0.8% (20 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Total homes built: 2,416

#18. Fairbanks North Star Borough

- Median year homes built: 1985
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 0.9% (378 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.5% (211 homes)
- Total homes built: 42,695

#17. Lake and Peninsula Borough

- Median year homes built: 1985
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 1.3% (17 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (2 homes)
- Total homes built: 1,355

#16. Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area

- Median year homes built: 1985
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 1.9% (74 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (6 homes)
- Total homes built: 3,958

#15. Copper River Census Area

- Median year homes built: 1985
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 2.8% (74 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (8 homes)
- Total homes built: 2,597

#14. North Slope Borough

- Median year homes built: 1984
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 2.6% (69 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (2 homes)
- Total homes built: 2,640

#13. Bristol Bay Borough

- Median year homes built: 1984
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 2.9% (24 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Total homes built: 831

#12. Nome Census Area

- Median year homes built: 1984
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 3.7% (153 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (4 homes)
- Total homes built: 4,109

#11. Hoonah-Angoon Census Area

- Median year homes built: 1984
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 8.0% (140 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.7% (13 homes)
- Total homes built: 1,741

#10. Skagway Municipality

- Median year homes built: 1984
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 18.4% (121 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.9% (6 homes)
- Total homes built: 656

#9. Yakutat City and Borough

- Median year homes built: 1983
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 4.3% (17 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (1 homes)
- Total homes built: 391

#8. Anchorage Municipality

- Median year homes built: 1982
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 0.8% (923 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (295 homes)
- Total homes built: 119,717

#7. Aleutians East Borough

- Median year homes built: 1981
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.0% (71 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Total homes built: 1,174

#6. Juneau City and Borough

- Median year homes built: 1981
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 7.4% (1,051 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.5% (71 homes)
- Total homes built: 14,170

#5. Petersburg Borough

- Median year homes built: 1980
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 19.3% (361 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Total homes built: 1,871

#4. Chugach Census Area

- Median year homes built: 1979
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 3.8% (141 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (13 homes)
- Total homes built: 3,745

#3. Sitka City and Borough

- Median year homes built: 1979
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 4.0% (166 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (8 homes)
- Total homes built: 4,167

#2. Ketchikan Gateway Borough

- Median year homes built: 1976
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 13.6% (905 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (15 homes)
- Total homes built: 6,659

#1. Wrangell City and Borough

- Median year homes built: 1975
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 11.0% (143 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (4 homes)
- Total homes built: 1,300

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