Pre-war homes—those built before 1939—are architectural gems. They are sturdy, charming, and often what people are referring to when they look at the prevalent colorless, linear designs of today and lament "they just don't make them like they used to."
In some ways, that's a good thing. Pre-war homes often contained materials we know to be hazardous today, like asbestos and lead. But their signature characteristics, including hardwood floors, nickel accents, ornate crown molding, and high ceilings, are among the features many people look for in a dream home.
Preserving the history of these properties, many of which you'll find on the National Register of Historic Places, is labor that often extends beyond the scope of an individual homeowner. Depending on where these homes are located, special permission by local historic commissions may be required before renovations can be done in an effort to preserve their historic architectural integrity.
Stacker compiled a list of counties in Nebraska with the most pre-war homes using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the highest percent of homes that were built in 1939 or earlier based on 2023 5-year estimates.
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#50. Saline County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 31.3% (1,808 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.1% (65 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1965
- National rank: #296
- Total homes built: 5,774
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#49. Grant County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 31.6% (132 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1961
- National rank: #287
- Total homes built: 418
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#48. Knox County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 31.8% (1,439 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.6% (25 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1966
- National rank: #278
- Total homes built: 4,527
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#47. Kimball County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 32.2% (583 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1953
- National rank: #263
- Total homes built: 1,812
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#46. Gage County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 32.8% (3,406 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (32 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1962
- National rank: #235
- Total homes built: 10,390
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#45. Blaine County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 32.9% (97 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1959
- National rank: #232
- Total homes built: 295
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#44. Antelope County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 33.2% (1,045 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (4 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1960
- National rank: #222
- Total homes built: 3,144
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#43. Cedar County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 33.3% (1,300 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (12 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1962
- National rank: #218
- Total homes built: 3,904
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#42. Polk County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 33.3% (841 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (2 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1963
- National rank: #217
- Total homes built: 2,524
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#41. Pierce County
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#40. York County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 33.5% (2,129 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.5% (33 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1964
- National rank: #207
- Total homes built: 6,346
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#39. Merrick County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 33.8% (1,212 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.3% (46 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1968
- National rank: #198
- Total homes built: 3,584
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#38. Perkins County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 33.9% (459 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (4 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1951
- National rank: #193
- Total homes built: 1,353
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#37. Howard County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 34.2% (989 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.5% (15 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1966
- National rank: #180
- Total homes built: 2,893
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#35. Butler County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 34.5% (1,392 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.0% (42 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1968
- National rank: #170
- Total homes built: 4,031
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#34. Keya Paha County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 34.7% (172 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.0% (5 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1967
- National rank: #164
- Total homes built: 495
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#33. Morrill County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 35.4% (806 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1958
- National rank: #147
- Total homes built: 2,276
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#32. Dundy County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 35.9% (360 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1953
- National rank: #136
- Total homes built: 1,002
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#31. Thomas County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 36.0% (132 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.4% (5 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1957
- National rank: #134
- Total homes built: 367
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#30. Hooker County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 36.4% (151 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1959
- National rank: #124
- Total homes built: 415
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#29. Fillmore County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 36.5% (997 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (11 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1958
- National rank: #122
- Total homes built: 2,733
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#28. Garden County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 37.1% (432 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1953
- National rank: #108
- Total homes built: 1,163
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#27. Sherman County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 37.2% (668 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.5% (9 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1962
- National rank: #107
- Total homes built: 1,797
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#26. Hitchcock County
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#25. Custer County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 37.7% (2,011 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.8% (40 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1958
- National rank: #96
- Total homes built: 5,331
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#24. Clay County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 38.0% (1,071 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (11 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1957
- National rank: #90
- Total homes built: 2,816
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#23. Logan County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 38.2% (136 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1959
- National rank: #88
- Total homes built: 356
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#22. Valley County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 38.4% (812 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.0% (22 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1954
- National rank: #83
- Total homes built: 2,116
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#21. Burt County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 39.7% (1,325 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.8% (26 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1956
- National rank: #64
- Total homes built: 3,338
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#20. Dixon County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 40.3% (1,019 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (9 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1951
- National rank: #51
- Total homes built: 2,528
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#19. Frontier County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 40.6% (557 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.8% (11 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1954
- National rank: #48
- Total homes built: 1,372
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#18. Sioux County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 40.6% (277 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.6% (11 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1953
- National rank: #47
- Total homes built: 682
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#17. Nemaha County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 41.1% (1,363 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (2 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1955
- National rank: #43
- Total homes built: 3,317
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#16. Sheridan County
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#15. Thayer County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 41.5% (1,046 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (6 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1952
- National rank: #38
- Total homes built: 2,518
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#14. Jefferson County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 41.8% (1,533 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (6 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1949
- National rank: #37
- Total homes built: 3,664
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#13. Nuckolls County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 42.0% (931 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (2 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1947
- National rank: #36
- Total homes built: 2,218
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#12. Deuel County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 42.5% (425 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1947
- National rank: #30
- Total homes built: 1,000
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#11. Boone County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 43.1% (1,098 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1954
- National rank: #26
- Total homes built: 2,545
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#10. Nance County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 43.8% (711 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (7 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1950
- National rank: #25
- Total homes built: 1,622
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#9. Johnson County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 44.5% (930 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (6 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1953
- National rank: #24
- Total homes built: 2,090
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#8. Webster County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 45.1% (797 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (6 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1950
- National rank: #20
- Total homes built: 1,767
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#7. Furnas County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 45.6% (1,146 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.6% (15 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1946
- National rank: #18
- Total homes built: 2,514
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#6. Hayes County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 46.1% (221 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1945
- National rank: #16
- Total homes built: 479
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#5. Richardson County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 46.2% (1,886 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1945
- National rank: #15
- Total homes built: 4,084
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#4. Pawnee County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 46.2% (652 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.7% (10 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1945
- National rank: #14
- Total homes built: 1,410
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#3. Boyd County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 46.4% (556 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1950
- National rank: #13
- Total homes built: 1,199
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#2. Greeley County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 47.1% (566 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1947
- National rank: #12
- Total homes built: 1,202
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#1. Franklin County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 47.6% (735 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.7% (26 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1943
- National rank: #8
- Total homes built: 1,543
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