Counties with the oldest homes in Arkansas
Counties with the oldest homes in Arkansas
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history can sometimes come with a cost: Many old homes come with asbestos, lead piping, knob-and-tube wiring, and other outdated building styles that can rack up a hefty price tag to modernize.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 counties in Arkansas with the oldest homes using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties 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 counties in Arkansas have the oldest homes.
#50. Boone County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.0% (1,037 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.2% (211 homes)
- Total homes built: 17,395
#49. Franklin County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.0% (465 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.0% (78 homes)
- Total homes built: 7,751
#48. Garland County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.4% (3,347 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.8% (410 homes)
- Total homes built: 52,570
#47. Drew County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.8% (564 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.5% (41 homes)
- Total homes built: 8,292
#46. Crittenden County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 2.4% (506 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (93 homes)
- Total homes built: 21,367
#45. Baxter County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 4.1% (930 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (53 homes)
- Total homes built: 22,836
#44. Miller County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 4.1% (815 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.7% (134 homes)
- Total homes built: 19,810
#43. Fulton County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.4% (335 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.2% (76 homes)
- Total homes built: 6,218
#42. Izard County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.8% (394 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (13 homes)
- Total homes built: 6,749
#41. Yell County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.8% (632 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.7% (64 homes)
- Total homes built: 9,300
#40. Pike County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 7.3% (386 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.6% (32 homes)
- Total homes built: 5,319
#39. Conway County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 7.8% (758 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.5% (141 homes)
- Total homes built: 9,681
#38. Columbia County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 4.8% (533 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.7% (80 homes)
- Total homes built: 11,032
#37. Nevada County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 7.4% (319 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (2 homes)
- Total homes built: 4,318
#36. Newton County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 12.1% (499 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.2% (49 homes)
- Total homes built: 4,107
#35. Calhoun County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 2.8% (69 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (3 homes)
- Total homes built: 2,468
#34. Little River County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 3.3% (198 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (3 homes)
- Total homes built: 6,071
#33. Cross County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 3.4% (259 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.6% (48 homes)
- Total homes built: 7,581
#32. Sevier County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 3.4% (232 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (27 homes)
- Total homes built: 6,768
#31. St. Francis County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 3.7% (350 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (33 homes)
- Total homes built: 9,583
#30. Pulaski County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.0% (9,659 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.9% (1,698 homes)
- Total homes built: 192,085
#29. Sebastian County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.6% (3,192 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.2% (684 homes)
- Total homes built: 57,197
#28. Hempstead County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.2% (596 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (21 homes)
- Total homes built: 9,638
#27. Searcy County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 9.8% (461 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.1% (51 homes)
- Total homes built: 4,721
#26. Randolph County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 3.5% (305 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (7 homes)
- Total homes built: 8,620
#25. Prairie County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 3.6% (147 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.5% (22 homes)
- Total homes built: 4,093
#24. Hot Spring County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 3.8% (535 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.2% (171 homes)
- Total homes built: 14,259
#23. Scott County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.1% (250 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.5% (24 homes)
- Total homes built: 4,873
#22. Howard County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 7.1% (436 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (20 homes)
- Total homes built: 6,162
#21. Logan County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 7.9% (771 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.7% (64 homes)
- Total homes built: 9,762
#20. Sharp County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 2.0% (189 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.8% (77 homes)
- Total homes built: 9,515
#19. Chicot County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 2.3% (119 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Total homes built: 5,114
#18. Woodruff County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 2.7% (88 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (13 homes)
- Total homes built: 3,272
#17. Mississippi County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 3.8% (733 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (27 homes)
- Total homes built: 19,126
#16. Poinsett County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 4.1% (424 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.8% (84 homes)
- Total homes built: 10,418
#15. Dallas County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 8.3% (290 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (9 homes)
- Total homes built: 3,490
#14. Ashley County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 4.1% (390 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (33 homes)
- Total homes built: 9,401
#13. Union County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 4.8% (888 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.8% (157 homes)
- Total homes built: 18,663
#12. Lawrence County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.6% (427 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.6% (47 homes)
- Total homes built: 7,585
#11. Lafayette County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.7% (225 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.6% (64 homes)
- Total homes built: 3,940
#10. Bradley County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.7% (343 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (12 homes)
- Total homes built: 5,082
#9. Monroe County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.3% (205 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Total homes built: 3,843
#8. Arkansas County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.9% (509 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (5 homes)
- Total homes built: 8,697
#7. Jefferson County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.7% (2,044 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.7% (208 homes)
- Total homes built: 30,710
#6. Desha County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.7% (387 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.2% (70 homes)
- Total homes built: 5,812
#5. Phillips County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.6% (552 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (4 homes)
- Total homes built: 8,386
#4. Jackson County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.9% (418 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (24 homes)
- Total homes built: 7,106
#3. Ouachita County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 7.6% (902 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (22 homes)
- Total homes built: 11,870
#2. Clay County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 7.7% (576 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (22 homes)
- Total homes built: 7,499
#1. Lee County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 8.0% (295 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (2 homes)
- Total homes built: 3,707