Counties in Tennessee with the most pre-war homes
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 Tennessee 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 before 1939 based on 2020 5-year estimates.
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#30. Franklin County
- Homes built since 2000: 18.7%
- Median year built: 1983
- Total homes: 19,508
#29. Washington County
- Homes built since 2000: 24.5%
- Median year built: 1984
- Total homes: 60,778
#28. Roane County
- Homes built since 2000: 17.8%
- Median year built: 1978
- Total homes: 25,690
#27. Bedford County
- Homes built since 2000: 25.5%
- Median year built: 1987
- Total homes: 19,345
#26. Claiborne County
- Homes built since 2000: 24.4%
- Median year built: 1984
- Total homes: 15,539
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#25. Dickson County
- Homes built since 2000: 22.2%
- Median year built: 1986
- Total homes: 22,097
#24. Gibson County
- Homes built since 2000: 19.8%
- Median year built: 1975
- Total homes: 22,662
#23. Marshall County
- Homes built since 2000: 23.6%
- Median year built: 1987
- Total homes: 13,775
#22. Loudon County
- Homes built since 2000: 32.1%
- Median year built: 1991
- Total homes: 23,393
#21. Humphreys County
- Homes built since 2000: 18.0%
- Median year built: 1979
- Total homes: 8,983
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#20. Hamilton County
- Homes built since 2000: 21.9%
- Median year built: 1978
- Total homes: 163,605
#19. Morgan County
- Homes built since 2000: 24.5%
- Median year built: 1984
- Total homes: 9,055
#18. Overton County
- Homes built since 2000: 19.3%
- Median year built: 1980
- Total homes: 10,385
#17. Lake County
- Homes built since 2000: 13.5%
- Median year built: 1976
- Total homes: 2,592
#16. Jackson County
- Homes built since 2000: 18.2%
- Median year built: 1985
- Total homes: 5,919
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#15. Weakley County
- Homes built since 2000: 17.8%
- Median year built: 1978
- Total homes: 15,613
#14. Haywood County
- Homes built since 2000: 16.5%
- Median year built: 1977
- Total homes: 8,419
#13. Obion County
- Homes built since 2000: 12.9%
- Median year built: 1974
- Total homes: 14,615
#12. Henry County
- Homes built since 2000: 17.1%
- Median year built: 1982
- Total homes: 17,270
#11. Crockett County
- Homes built since 2000: 14.0%
- Median year built: 1976
- Total homes: 6,427
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#10. Grundy County
- Homes built since 2000: 21.0%
- Median year built: 1983
- Total homes: 6,467
#9. Houston County
- Homes built since 2000: 17.6%
- Median year built: 1980
- Total homes: 4,238
#8. Smith County
- Homes built since 2000: 17.0%
- Median year built: 1982
- Total homes: 8,838
#7. Clay County
- Homes built since 2000: 21.0%
- Median year built: 1985
- Total homes: 4,367
#6. Lincoln County
- Homes built since 2000: 21.7%
- Median year built: 1982
- Total homes: 15,624
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#5. Carter County
- Homes built since 2000: 15.7%
- Median year built: 1978
- Total homes: 28,236
#4. Giles County
- Homes built since 2000: 18.9%
- Median year built: 1981
- Total homes: 14,156
#3. Perry County
- Homes built since 2000: 20.2%
- Median year built: 1986
- Total homes: 4,681
#2. Hancock County
- Homes built since 2000: 19.6%
- Median year built: 1983
- Total homes: 3,609
#1. Unicoi County
- Homes built since 2000: 14.1%
- Median year built: 1976
- Total homes: 8,914
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