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 Vermont 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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#14. Chittenden County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 17.8% (13,212 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.5% (363 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1980
- National rank: #1,022
- Total homes built: 74,025
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#13. Grand Isle County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 18.4% (976 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (19 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1982
- National rank: #982
- Total homes built: 5,301
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#12. Lamoille County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 18.6% (2,623 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.4% (195 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1982
- National rank: #970
- Total homes built: 14,138
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#11. Orleans County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 23.4% (3,893 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.6% (104 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1977
- National rank: #683
- Total homes built: 16,630
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#10. Franklin County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 25.4% (5,802 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (94 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1979
- National rank: #585
- Total homes built: 22,850
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#9. Windham County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 25.8% (7,770 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.6% (171 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1974
- National rank: #555
- Total homes built: 30,104
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#8. Bennington County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 25.8% (5,394 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.5% (105 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1971
- National rank: #554
- Total homes built: 20,877
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#7. Addison County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 27.0% (4,730 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.8% (137 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1977
- National rank: #489
- Total homes built: 17,521
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#6. Orange County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 27.7% (4,162 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 1.0% (152 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1977
- National rank: #464
- Total homes built: 15,021
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#5. Windsor County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 27.7% (9,635 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (129 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1974
- National rank: #463
- Total homes built: 34,773
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#4. Washington County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 28.5% (8,806 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (118 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1972
- National rank: #417
- Total homes built: 30,860
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#3. Essex County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 29.0% (1,427 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (21 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1973
- National rank: #390
- Total homes built: 4,914
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#2. Rutland County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 31.4% (10,662 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (81 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1970
- National rank: #293
- Total homes built: 33,974
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#1. Caledonia County
- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 33.7% (5,423 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.5% (74 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1972
- National rank: #205
- Total homes built: 16,084