Counties with the oldest homes in Idaho
Counties with the oldest homes in Idaho
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history can sometimes come with a cost: Many old homes come with asbestos, lead piping, knob-and-tube wiring, and other outdated building styles that can rack up a hefty price tag to modernize.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 Idaho 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 Idaho have the oldest homes.
#44. Madison County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 3.3% (482 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 2.3% (347 homes)
- Total homes built: 14,769
#43. Teton County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 2.8% (172 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.4% (87 homes)
- Total homes built: 6,199
#42. Canyon County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 7.2% (6,189 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 3.4% (2,906 homes)
- Total homes built: 85,583
#41. Ada County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 4.1% (8,408 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 3.6% (7,444 homes)
- Total homes built: 205,068
#40. Kootenai County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.4% (4,193 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 2.6% (2,003 homes)
- Total homes built: 78,013
#39. Valley County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 3.8% (474 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (33 homes)
- Total homes built: 12,601
#38. Boise County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 4.0% (222 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 2.0% (111 homes)
- Total homes built: 5,592
#37. Jefferson County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 11.4% (1,194 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 2.6% (272 homes)
- Total homes built: 10,499
#36. Camas County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 18.0% (125 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Total homes built: 694
#35. Boundary County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.1% (339 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.7% (96 homes)
- Total homes built: 5,535
#34. Bonner County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 9.1% (2,421 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 2.2% (586 homes)
- Total homes built: 26,623
#33. Blaine County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 4.1% (649 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.8% (131 homes)
- Total homes built: 15,769
#32. Custer County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.3% (169 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Total homes built: 3,164
#31. Lincoln County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 14.5% (286 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.7% (33 homes)
- Total homes built: 1,973
#30. Elmore County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.8% (707 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.3% (164 homes)
- Total homes built: 12,168
#29. Bonneville County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 7.3% (3,397 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 2.3% (1,059 homes)
- Total homes built: 46,425
#28. Adams County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.8% (182 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (7 homes)
- Total homes built: 2,666
#27. Jerome County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 9.0% (785 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.0% (86 homes)
- Total homes built: 8,725
#26. Owyhee County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 8.1% (391 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 3.6% (173 homes)
- Total homes built: 4,803
#25. Gem County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 9.9% (771 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 3.6% (281 homes)
- Total homes built: 7,788
#24. Twin Falls County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 12.3% (4,387 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 2.1% (743 homes)
- Total homes built: 35,749
#23. Lemhi County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 9.5% (441 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.8% (37 homes)
- Total homes built: 4,636
#22. Fremont County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 9.9% (857 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.9% (79 homes)
- Total homes built: 8,669
#21. Idaho County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 12.6% (1,119 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.0% (86 homes)
- Total homes built: 8,881
#20. Benewah County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 14.6% (685 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (16 homes)
- Total homes built: 4,706
#19. Latah County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 14.7% (2,569 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.9% (150 homes)
- Total homes built: 17,429
#18. Payette County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 15.3% (1,520 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.8% (177 homes)
- Total homes built: 9,950
#17. Clark County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 17.0% (75 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Total homes built: 442
#16. Bingham County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 14.0% (2,425 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.0% (172 homes)
- Total homes built: 17,268
#15. Gooding County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.9% (421 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (24 homes)
- Total homes built: 6,100
#14. Minidoka County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 8.6% (731 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (16 homes)
- Total homes built: 8,478
#13. Bannock County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 10.9% (3,877 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.6% (584 homes)
- Total homes built: 35,683
#12. Clearwater County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 11.0% (506 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.7% (30 homes)
- Total homes built: 4,603
#11. Power County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 12.2% (360 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (11 homes)
- Total homes built: 2,960
#10. Cassia County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 14.5% (1,305 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.5% (134 homes)
- Total homes built: 8,992
#9. Washington County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 21.3% (978 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 2.1% (96 homes)
- Total homes built: 4,586
#8. Caribou County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 20.4% (639 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (14 homes)
- Total homes built: 3,137
#7. Nez Perce County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 16.4% (3,031 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.5% (96 homes)
- Total homes built: 18,496
#6. Franklin County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 25.5% (1,307 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 2.0% (102 homes)
- Total homes built: 5,122
#5. Butte County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 15.9% (203 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Total homes built: 1,275
#4. Bear Lake County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 29.6% (1,167 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (4 homes)
- Total homes built: 3,943
#3. Lewis County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 27.0% (493 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (8 homes)
- Total homes built: 1,823
#2. Oneida County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 32.5% (670 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 2.7% (55 homes)
- Total homes built: 2,062
#1. Shoshone County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 29.2% (2,052 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (20 homes)
- Total homes built: 7,036