Counties in Vermont with the most pre-war homes

Written by:
June 22, 2022
Arina P Habich // Shutterstock

Counties in Vermont 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 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 before 1939 based on 2020 5-year estimates.

#14. Chittenden County

- Homes built before 1939: 18.0%
- Homes built since 2000: 19.9%
- Median year built: 1980
- Total homes: 70,460

#13. Grand Isle County

- Homes built before 1939: 18.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 19.2%
- Median year built: 1980
- Total homes: 5,322

#12. Lamoille County

- Homes built before 1939: 19.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 17.2%
- Median year built: 1980
- Total homes: 13,817

#11. Orleans County

- Homes built before 1939: 24.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 18.3%
- Median year built: 1976
- Total homes: 17,726

#10. Windsor County

- Homes built before 1939: 25.9%
- Homes built since 2000: 12.0%
- Median year built: 1973
- Total homes: 35,016

#9. Franklin County

- Homes built before 1939: 26.5%
- Homes built since 2000: 20.2%
- Median year built: 1976
- Total homes: 22,706

#8. Addison County

- Homes built before 1939: 27.7%
- Homes built since 2000: 17.2%
- Median year built: 1976
- Total homes: 17,577

#7. Windham County

- Homes built before 1939: 27.8%
- Homes built since 2000: 11.8%
- Median year built: 1973
- Total homes: 30,778

#6. Bennington County

- Homes built before 1939: 27.9%
- Homes built since 2000: 10.1%
- Median year built: 1969
- Total homes: 21,189

#5. Orange County

- Homes built before 1939: 28.8%
- Homes built since 2000: 15.4%
- Median year built: 1975
- Total homes: 15,516

#4. Washington County

- Homes built before 1939: 29.1%
- Homes built since 2000: 12.4%
- Median year built: 1972
- Total homes: 30,894

#3. Essex County

- Homes built before 1939: 29.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 17.9%
- Median year built: 1973
- Total homes: 5,209

#2. Rutland County

- Homes built before 1939: 31.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 8.4%
- Median year built: 1970
- Total homes: 34,552

#1. Caledonia County

- Homes built before 1939: 31.9%
- Homes built since 2000: 16.2%
- Median year built: 1972
- Total homes: 16,452

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