Counties with the oldest homes in New Mexico
Counties with the oldest homes in New Mexico
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history can sometimes come with a cost: Many old homes come with asbestos, lead piping, knob-and-tube wiring, and other outdated building styles that can rack up a hefty price tag to modernize.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 New Mexico 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 New Mexico have the oldest homes.
#33. Sandoval County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 2.0% (1,181 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.6% (965 homes)
- Total homes built: 59,759
#32. Doña Ana County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 2.6% (2,357 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.7% (1,576 homes)
- Total homes built: 91,402
#31. Valencia County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 3.6% (1,091 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.2% (377 homes)
- Total homes built: 30,396
#30. Santa Fe County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.0% (4,662 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.1% (841 homes)
- Total homes built: 77,686
#29. San Juan County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 1.8% (852 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.6% (312 homes)
- Total homes built: 48,085
#28. Torrance County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 7.0% (504 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (27 homes)
- Total homes built: 7,238
#27. Lincoln County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 3.2% (565 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (63 homes)
- Total homes built: 17,768
#26. Otero County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 2.5% (821 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (136 homes)
- Total homes built: 32,400
#25. Catron County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 7.4% (246 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (9 homes)
- Total homes built: 3,333
#24. McKinley County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 3.3% (834 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.6% (158 homes)
- Total homes built: 25,213
#23. Rio Arriba County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 4.9% (958 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.7% (130 homes)
- Total homes built: 19,703
#22. Sierra County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 7.7% (623 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (22 homes)
- Total homes built: 8,139
#21. Taos County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 9.0% (1,894 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (8 homes)
- Total homes built: 21,091
#20. Bernalillo County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 3.3% (9,827 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.7% (2,177 homes)
- Total homes built: 301,278
#19. Mora County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 19.7% (578 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.7% (22 homes)
- Total homes built: 2,938
#18. Roosevelt County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.8% (581 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (24 homes)
- Total homes built: 8,525
#17. Socorro County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 14.0% (1,070 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (3 homes)
- Total homes built: 7,642
#16. Luna County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.6% (769 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.8% (89 homes)
- Total homes built: 11,567
#15. Cibola County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.5% (729 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.5% (56 homes)
- Total homes built: 11,171
#14. San Miguel County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 17.2% (2,548 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (51 homes)
- Total homes built: 14,837
#13. Lea County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 2.9% (810 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.4% (382 homes)
- Total homes built: 28,125
#12. Eddy County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 4.1% (1,081 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (79 homes)
- Total homes built: 26,633
#11. Hidalgo County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 9.8% (218 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.0% (22 homes)
- Total homes built: 2,219
#10. Grant County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 11.0% (1,613 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.6% (93 homes)
- Total homes built: 14,664
#9. Colfax County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 15.2% (1,456 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (18 homes)
- Total homes built: 9,578
#8. Curry County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.6% (1,193 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (77 homes)
- Total homes built: 21,266
#7. Guadalupe County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 12.6% (272 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Total homes built: 2,156
#6. Los Alamos County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 2.5% (218 homes)
- Total homes built: 8,660
#5. De Baca County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.2% (61 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Total homes built: 1,165
#4. Chaves County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.1% (1,633 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.5% (139 homes)
- Total homes built: 26,794
#3. Quay County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 15.3% (841 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (15 homes)
- Total homes built: 5,513
#2. Union County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 22.6% (472 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Total homes built: 2,091
#1. Harding County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 35.4% (173 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Total homes built: 489