Counties with the oldest homes in North Carolina

Written by:
September 25, 2025
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Counties with the oldest homes in North Carolina

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history can sometimes come with a cost: Many old homes come with asbestos, lead piping, knob-and-tube wiring, and other outdated building styles that can rack up a hefty price tag to modernize.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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina have the oldest homes.

#50. Alexander County

- Median year homes built: 1985
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 4.9% (783 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.6% (89 homes)
- Total homes built: 16,126

#49. Randolph County

- Median year homes built: 1985
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.4% (3,356 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.8% (492 homes)
- Total homes built: 62,544

#48. Avery County

- Median year homes built: 1985
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.6% (780 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (36 homes)
- Total homes built: 14,051

#47. Davidson County

- Median year homes built: 1985
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.4% (4,821 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.0% (782 homes)
- Total homes built: 75,615

#46. Wilson County

- Median year homes built: 1985
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.6% (2,422 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.8% (304 homes)
- Total homes built: 36,702

#45. Nash County

- Median year homes built: 1985
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 8.9% (3,864 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.0% (452 homes)
- Total homes built: 43,537

#44. Catawba County

- Median year homes built: 1984
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.7% (4,102 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.9% (630 homes)
- Total homes built: 72,028

#43. Greene County

- Median year homes built: 1984
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 7.5% (596 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (22 homes)
- Total homes built: 7,909

#42. Person County

- Median year homes built: 1984
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 7.6% (1,411 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.2% (227 homes)
- Total homes built: 18,482

#41. Bladen County

- Median year homes built: 1983
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 4.0% (606 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.0% (157 homes)
- Total homes built: 15,272

#40. Stokes County

- Median year homes built: 1983
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 4.9% (1,047 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.8% (167 homes)
- Total homes built: 21,353

#39. Transylvania County

- Median year homes built: 1983
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.2% (1,002 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.7% (131 homes)
- Total homes built: 19,147

#38. Wayne County

- Median year homes built: 1983
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.7% (3,046 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.8% (436 homes)
- Total homes built: 53,134

#37. Forsyth County

- Median year homes built: 1983
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.2% (10,702 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.1% (1,906 homes)
- Total homes built: 173,220

#36. McDowell County

- Median year homes built: 1983
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 7.2% (1,550 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.0% (223 homes)
- Total homes built: 21,475

#35. Haywood County

- Median year homes built: 1983
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 8.0% (2,833 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.8% (285 homes)
- Total homes built: 35,307

#34. Montgomery County

- Median year homes built: 1983
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 9.4% (1,410 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.8% (112 homes)
- Total homes built: 14,930

#33. Tyrrell County

- Median year homes built: 1983
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 16.1% (323 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Total homes built: 2,004

#32. Alleghany County

- Median year homes built: 1982
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.1% (397 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.5% (115 homes)
- Total homes built: 7,752

#31. Caswell County

- Median year homes built: 1982
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.9% (726 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (25 homes)
- Total homes built: 10,490

#30. Gaston County

- Median year homes built: 1982
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 7.4% (7,454 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.5% (1,469 homes)
- Total homes built: 100,109

#29. Polk County

- Median year homes built: 1982
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 9.8% (1,069 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.8% (89 homes)
- Total homes built: 10,949

#28. Rowan County

- Median year homes built: 1982
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 10.2% (6,573 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.1% (739 homes)
- Total homes built: 64,263

#27. Scotland County

- Median year homes built: 1981
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.5% (786 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (59 homes)
- Total homes built: 14,421

#26. Caldwell County

- Median year homes built: 1981
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.5% (2,038 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.5% (191 homes)
- Total homes built: 37,231

#25. Yadkin County

- Median year homes built: 1981
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.9% (1,013 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (50 homes)
- Total homes built: 17,165

#24. Columbus County

- Median year homes built: 1981
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.5% (1,540 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.8% (194 homes)
- Total homes built: 23,560

#23. Ashe County

- Median year homes built: 1981
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.7% (1,144 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (19 homes)
- Total homes built: 17,111

#22. Vance County

- Median year homes built: 1981
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.8% (1,318 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.7% (129 homes)
- Total homes built: 19,423

#21. Bertie County

- Median year homes built: 1980
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.9% (532 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (9 homes)
- Total homes built: 8,988

#20. Wilkes County

- Median year homes built: 1980
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.5% (2,060 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (123 homes)
- Total homes built: 31,744

#19. Rutherford County

- Median year homes built: 1980
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 7.6% (2,485 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.0% (322 homes)
- Total homes built: 32,682

#18. Burke County

- Median year homes built: 1980
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 8.0% (3,203 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.0% (383 homes)
- Total homes built: 40,058

#17. Surry County

- Median year homes built: 1980
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 8.6% (2,906 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (142 homes)
- Total homes built: 33,609

#16. Northampton County

- Median year homes built: 1979
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.2% (659 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.8% (80 homes)
- Total homes built: 10,620

#15. Cleveland County

- Median year homes built: 1979
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.8% (2,982 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.7% (324 homes)
- Total homes built: 43,999

#14. Beaufort County

- Median year homes built: 1979
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 8.4% (2,043 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (64 homes)
- Total homes built: 24,385

#13. Rockingham County

- Median year homes built: 1979
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 8.6% (3,752 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.7% (293 homes)
- Total homes built: 43,685

#12. Halifax County

- Median year homes built: 1979
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 8.9% (2,223 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.6% (158 homes)
- Total homes built: 24,849

#11. Chowan County

- Median year homes built: 1979
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 11.3% (809 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (16 homes)
- Total homes built: 7,169

#10. Mitchell County

- Median year homes built: 1978
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 10.6% (923 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (19 homes)
- Total homes built: 8,673

#9. Hyde County

- Median year homes built: 1978
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 17.6% (558 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.7% (22 homes)
- Total homes built: 3,168

#8. Lenoir County

- Median year homes built: 1977
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.1% (1,643 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (29 homes)
- Total homes built: 26,767

#7. Edgecombe County

- Median year homes built: 1977
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 9.5% (2,210 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (98 homes)
- Total homes built: 23,258

#6. Hertford County

- Median year homes built: 1976
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 8.3% (815 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.7% (69 homes)
- Total homes built: 9,831

#5. Martin County

- Median year homes built: 1976
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 9.0% (1,002 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (15 homes)
- Total homes built: 11,100

#4. Richmond County

- Median year homes built: 1975
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.4% (1,276 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (53 homes)
- Total homes built: 19,840

#3. Stanly County

- Median year homes built: 1975
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 11.9% (3,364 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.2% (344 homes)
- Total homes built: 28,292

#2. Washington County

- Median year homes built: 1975
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 13.4% (809 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (6 homes)
- Total homes built: 6,045

#1. Anson County

- Median year homes built: 1974
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 9.3% (920 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.5% (49 homes)
- Total homes built: 9,932

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