Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons

Counties with the oldest homes in Kentucky

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, 12.8% 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history can sometimes come with a cost: Many old homes come with asbestos, lead piping, knob-and-tube wiring, and other outdated building styles that can rack up a hefty price tag to modernize.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 Kentucky with the oldest homes using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by median year the structure was built, with ties broken by the most homes 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 Kentucky have the oldest homes.

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Acdixon // Wikimedia Commons

#30. Todd County

– Median year homes built: 1977
— #1,581 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 8.7%
— #1,840 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 5,341

Smallbones // Wikimedia Commons

#29. McCracken County

– Median year homes built: 1977
— #1,577 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 9.2%
— #1,779 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 32,065

Brian Stansberry // Wikimedia Commons

#28. Monroe County

– Median year homes built: 1977
— #1,575 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 9.4%
— #1,748 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 5,260

Christopher L. Riley // Wikimedia Commons

#27. Boyle County

– Median year homes built: 1977
— #1,557 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 11.1%
— #1,574 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 12,490

Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons

#26. Bell County

– Median year homes built: 1976
— #1,463 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 8.0%
— #1,940 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 13,235

Brian Stansberry // Wikimedia Commons

#25. Hickman County

– Median year homes built: 1976
— #1,459 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 8.4%
— #1,884 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 2,358

C. Bedford Crenshaw // Wikimedia Commons

#24. Caldwell County

– Median year homes built: 1976
— #1,455 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 9.1%
— #1,785 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 6,291

Megangen1990 // Wikimedia Commons

#23. Muhlenberg County

– Median year homes built: 1976
— #1,452 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 9.3%
— #1,768 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 13,798

Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons

#22. Green County

– Median year homes built: 1976
— #1,428 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 12.0%
— #1,490 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 5,304

w.marsh // Wikimedia Commons

#21. Henderson County

– Median year homes built: 1976
— #1,425 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 12.4%
— #1,453 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 20,560

Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons

#20. McLean County

– Median year homes built: 1976
— #1,414 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 13.9%
— #1,341 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 4,286

Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons

#19. Nicholas County

– Median year homes built: 1976
— #1,380 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 20.1%
— #918 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 3,293

Turover // Wikimedia Commons

#18. Greenup County

– Median year homes built: 1975
— #1,330 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 8.4%
— #1,886 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 16,319

JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD // Wikimedia Commons

#17. Franklin County

– Median year homes built: 1975
— #1,328 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 8.5%
— #1,872 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 23,252

Bedford // Wikimedia Commons

#16. Logan County

– Median year homes built: 1975
— #1,311 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 11.8%
— #1,510 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 12,363

Jim.henderson // Wikimedia Commons

#15. Hopkins County

– Median year homes built: 1975
— #1,303 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 12.7%
— #1,434 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 21,405

W.marsh // Wikimedia Commons

#14. Harlan County

– Median year homes built: 1975
— #1,296 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 14.0%
— #1,333 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 13,589

Bedford // Wikimedia Commons

#13. Webster County

– Median year homes built: 1975
— #1,286 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 16.9%
— #1,148 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 5,960

Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons

#12. Mercer County

– Median year homes built: 1975
— #1,279 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 18.1%
— #1,066 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 10,147

Farragutful // Wikimedia Commons

#11. Daviess County

– Median year homes built: 1974
— #1,227 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 8.1%
— #1,924 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 43,122

Patricia Drury // Wikimedia Commons

#10. Union County

– Median year homes built: 1974
— #1,188 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 17.2%
— #1,126 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 6,249

W.marsh // Wikimedia Commons

#9. Bourbon County

– Median year homes built: 1974
— #1,167 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 19.9%
— #933 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 9,064

Greg5030 // Wikimedia Commons

#8. Mason County

– Median year homes built: 1973
— #1,078 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 18.9%
— #1,006 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 8,163

Greg5030 // Wikimedia Commons

#7. Kenton County

– Median year homes built: 1973
— #1,068 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 21.0%
— #870 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 69,661

Calvin Beale // Wikimedia Commons

#6. Fulton County

– Median year homes built: 1970
— #858 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 12.0%
— #1,488 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 3,338

w:User:Malepheasant // Wikimedia Commons

#5. Boyd County

– Median year homes built: 1970
— #853 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 14.6%
— #1,286 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 21,674

Chris Watson // Wikicommons

#4. Jefferson County

– Median year homes built: 1969
— #785 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 14.9%
— #1,271 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 345,261

W.marsh // Wikimedia Commons

#3. Robertson County

– Median year homes built: 1969
— #747 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 28.8%
— #448 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 1,080

Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons

#2. Bracken County

– Median year homes built: 1969
— #743 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 29.7%
— #408 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 3,885

Rdikeman // Wikimedia Commons

#1. Campbell County

– Median year homes built: 1968
— #697 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 28.2%
— #474 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 40,312