Counties with the oldest homes in Iowa
Counties with the oldest homes in Iowa
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history can sometimes come with a cost: Many old homes come with asbestos, lead piping, knob-and-tube wiring, and other outdated building styles that can rack up a hefty price tag to modernize.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 Iowa 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 Iowa have the oldest homes.
#50. Washington County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 38.2% (3,684 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.6% (61 homes)
- Total homes built: 9,638
#49. Kossuth County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 29.7% (2,147 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.5% (35 homes)
- Total homes built: 7,220
#48. Winnebago County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 31.7% (1,612 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Total homes built: 5,080
#47. Union County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 38.7% (2,238 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (8 homes)
- Total homes built: 5,790
#46. Calhoun County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 31.6% (1,514 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Total homes built: 4,794
#45. Floyd County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 33.8% (2,467 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.9% (64 homes)
- Total homes built: 7,308
#44. Grundy County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 34.3% (1,881 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (16 homes)
- Total homes built: 5,489
#43. Winneshiek County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 37.4% (3,374 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (8 homes)
- Total homes built: 9,011
#42. Cerro Gordo County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 28.1% (6,382 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.9% (196 homes)
- Total homes built: 22,730
#41. O'Brien County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 28.8% (1,884 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (3 homes)
- Total homes built: 6,544
#40. Lee County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 34.6% (5,465 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (23 homes)
- Total homes built: 15,808
#39. Hancock County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 34.8% (1,782 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.2% (62 homes)
- Total homes built: 5,120
#38. Wapello County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 27.4% (4,306 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (27 homes)
- Total homes built: 15,740
#37. Woodbury County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 31.2% (13,470 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.7% (306 homes)
- Total homes built: 43,121
#36. Marshall County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 32.1% (5,411 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.6% (104 homes)
- Total homes built: 16,860
#35. Humboldt County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 33.2% (1,527 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (10 homes)
- Total homes built: 4,600
#34. Clinton County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 33.8% (7,296 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (64 homes)
- Total homes built: 21,590
#33. Des Moines County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 34.1% (6,396 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (71 homes)
- Total homes built: 18,778
#32. Adair County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 36.1% (1,297 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (6 homes)
- Total homes built: 3,595
#31. Wright County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 32.8% (2,055 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Total homes built: 6,266
#30. Webster County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 33.2% (5,667 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (67 homes)
- Total homes built: 17,053
#29. Palo Alto County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 35.6% (1,606 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.5% (22 homes)
- Total homes built: 4,517
#28. Fremont County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 36.6% (1,147 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (14 homes)
- Total homes built: 3,130
#27. Boone County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 39.8% (4,775 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (24 homes)
- Total homes built: 12,005
#26. Cherokee County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 36.8% (2,047 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (2 homes)
- Total homes built: 5,555
#25. Butler County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 37.4% (2,455 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.5% (32 homes)
- Total homes built: 6,569
#24. Tama County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 38.6% (2,929 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (13 homes)
- Total homes built: 7,595
#23. Mitchell County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 39.7% (1,945 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.6% (29 homes)
- Total homes built: 4,902
#22. Emmet County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 33.3% (1,503 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (4 homes)
- Total homes built: 4,517
#21. Sac County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 36.6% (1,873 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (18 homes)
- Total homes built: 5,122
#20. Montgomery County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 37.1% (1,861 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (4 homes)
- Total homes built: 5,011
#19. Monona County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 37.9% (1,662 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (17 homes)
- Total homes built: 4,390
#18. Hamilton County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 39.9% (2,813 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (30 homes)
- Total homes built: 7,056
#17. Hardin County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 36.0% (2,889 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (21 homes)
- Total homes built: 8,028
#16. Greene County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 37.7% (1,629 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.7% (30 homes)
- Total homes built: 4,316
#15. Osceola County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 38.1% (1,091 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (4 homes)
- Total homes built: 2,867
#14. Adams County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 39.7% (751 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (6 homes)
- Total homes built: 1,892
#13. Cass County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 40.1% (2,562 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (12 homes)
- Total homes built: 6,397
#12. Howard County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 40.2% (1,733 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.0% (42 homes)
- Total homes built: 4,314
#11. Franklin County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 39.8% (1,853 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (2 homes)
- Total homes built: 4,657
#10. Fayette County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 41.2% (3,837 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (9 homes)
- Total homes built: 9,324
#9. Keokuk County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 45.1% (2,095 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.7% (33 homes)
- Total homes built: 4,650
#8. Ida County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 40.4% (1,360 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (8 homes)
- Total homes built: 3,365
#7. Taylor County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 42.1% (1,216 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Total homes built: 2,890
#6. Harrison County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 44.8% (2,989 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.8% (53 homes)
- Total homes built: 6,679
#5. Pocahontas County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 39.7% (1,452 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (2 homes)
- Total homes built: 3,658
#4. Page County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 42.8% (2,994 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.5% (38 homes)
- Total homes built: 6,996
#3. Audubon County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 42.0% (1,170 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (4 homes)
- Total homes built: 2,786
#2. Worth County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 42.6% (1,484 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.8% (28 homes)
- Total homes built: 3,487
#1. Shelby County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 47.9% (2,602 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (6 homes)
- Total homes built: 5,429