Counties in Washington with the most pre-war homes
Counties in Washington 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 Washington 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. Ferry County
- Homes built before 1939: 7.4%
- Homes built since 2000: 21.4%
- Median year built: 1984
- Total homes: 4,541
#29. Kitsap County
- Homes built before 1939: 7.7%
- Homes built since 2000: 20.6%
- Median year built: 1985
- Total homes: 113,730
#28. Skamania County
- Homes built before 1939: 7.9%
- Homes built since 2000: 24.2%
- Median year built: 1980
- Total homes: 5,937
#27. Clallam County
- Homes built before 1939: 8.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 19.8%
- Median year built: 1980
- Total homes: 37,367
#26. Douglas County
- Homes built before 1939: 8.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 26.9%
- Median year built: 1981
- Total homes: 17,234
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#25. Jefferson County
- Homes built before 1939: 8.7%
- Homes built since 2000: 23.7%
- Median year built: 1986
- Total homes: 18,794
#24. Stevens County
- Homes built before 1939: 8.8%
- Homes built since 2000: 22.2%
- Median year built: 1983
- Total homes: 21,954
#23. Pierce County
- Homes built before 1939: 9.9%
- Homes built since 2000: 24.0%
- Median year built: 1984
- Total homes: 351,346
#22. Okanogan County
- Homes built before 1939: 11.4%
- Homes built since 2000: 19.5%
- Median year built: 1981
- Total homes: 23,338
#21. King County
- Homes built before 1939: 11.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 23.1%
- Median year built: 1980
- Total homes: 952,344
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#20. Whatcom County
- Homes built before 1939: 11.9%
- Homes built since 2000: 24.7%
- Median year built: 1986
- Total homes: 98,000
#19. Pend Oreille County
- Homes built before 1939: 12.1%
- Homes built since 2000: 22.0%
- Median year built: 1979
- Total homes: 8,323
#18. Chelan County
- Homes built before 1939: 12.7%
- Homes built since 2000: 19.9%
- Median year built: 1980
- Total homes: 38,193
#17. Skagit County
- Homes built before 1939: 13.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 23.4%
- Median year built: 1983
- Total homes: 54,317
#16. Yakima County
- Homes built before 1939: 13.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 15.2%
- Median year built: 1974
- Total homes: 89,354
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#15. Kittitas County
- Homes built before 1939: 13.7%
- Homes built since 2000: 27.9%
- Median year built: 1987
- Total homes: 24,226
#14. Asotin County
- Homes built before 1939: 14.0%
- Homes built since 2000: 14.2%
- Median year built: 1976
- Total homes: 10,078
#13. Cowlitz County
- Homes built before 1939: 14.1%
- Homes built since 2000: 15.8%
- Median year built: 1974
- Total homes: 44,970
#12. Spokane County
- Homes built before 1939: 14.6%
- Homes built since 2000: 20.4%
- Median year built: 1977
- Total homes: 219,964
#11. Adams County
- Homes built before 1939: 14.7%
- Homes built since 2000: 13.6%
- Median year built: 1974
- Total homes: 6,684
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#10. Klickitat County
- Homes built before 1939: 15.5%
- Homes built since 2000: 20.8%
- Median year built: 1978
- Total homes: 10,626
#9. Pacific County
- Homes built before 1939: 16.5%
- Homes built since 2000: 16.1%
- Median year built: 1977
- Total homes: 16,312
#8. Lewis County
- Homes built before 1939: 17.5%
- Homes built since 2000: 17.1%
- Median year built: 1977
- Total homes: 35,426
#7. Whitman County
- Homes built before 1939: 17.7%
- Homes built since 2000: 18.8%
- Median year built: 1977
- Total homes: 21,078
#6. Wahkiakum County
- Homes built before 1939: 18.3%
- Homes built since 2000: 21.5%
- Median year built: 1980
- Total homes: 2,223
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#5. Walla Walla County
- Homes built before 1939: 20.4%
- Homes built since 2000: 18.5%
- Median year built: 1973
- Total homes: 24,871
#4. Grays Harbor County
- Homes built before 1939: 22.9%
- Homes built since 2000: 16.0%
- Median year built: 1974
- Total homes: 36,572
#3. Lincoln County
- Homes built before 1939: 25.2%
- Homes built since 2000: 16.8%
- Median year built: 1972
- Total homes: 6,094
#2. Columbia County
- Homes built before 1939: 36.5%
- Homes built since 2000: 17.2%
- Median year built: 1961
- Total homes: 2,174
#1. Garfield County
- Homes built before 1939: 37.8%
- Homes built since 2000: 13.3%
- Median year built: 1952
- Total homes: 1,189
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