Counties in Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin 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. Racine County
– Homes built before 1939: 20.1%
– Homes built since 2000: 12.0%
– Median year built: 1967
– Total homes: 82,977
#29. Pierce County
– Homes built before 1939: 20.1%
– Homes built since 2000: 23.3%
– Median year built: 1979
– Total homes: 16,742
#28. Rock County
– Homes built before 1939: 20.5%
– Homes built since 2000: 13.2%
– Median year built: 1969
– Total homes: 69,278
#27. Monroe County
– Homes built before 1939: 20.7%
– Homes built since 2000: 19.9%
– Median year built: 1978
– Total homes: 20,000
#26. Shawano County
– Homes built before 1939: 20.8%
– Homes built since 2000: 16.5%
– Median year built: 1974
– Total homes: 20,957
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#25. Jackson County
– Homes built before 1939: 21.0%
– Homes built since 2000: 23.0%
– Median year built: 1978
– Total homes: 9,964
#24. Crawford County
– Homes built before 1939: 21.2%
– Homes built since 2000: 18.6%
– Median year built: 1975
– Total homes: 8,999
#23. Trempealeau County
– Homes built before 1939: 21.2%
– Homes built since 2000: 18.9%
– Median year built: 1975
– Total homes: 13,219
#22. Langlade County
– Homes built before 1939: 21.3%
– Homes built since 2000: 12.6%
– Median year built: 1972
– Total homes: 12,614
#21. Waupaca County
– Homes built before 1939: 22.4%
– Homes built since 2000: 14.1%
– Median year built: 1974
– Total homes: 25,840
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#20. Columbia County
– Homes built before 1939: 23.5%
– Homes built since 2000: 18.1%
– Median year built: 1975
– Total homes: 26,878
#19. Grant County
– Homes built before 1939: 23.7%
– Homes built since 2000: 15.9%
– Median year built: 1972
– Total homes: 22,197
#18. Jefferson County
– Homes built before 1939: 23.9%
– Homes built since 2000: 16.8%
– Median year built: 1973
– Total homes: 36,010
#17. Green Lake County
– Homes built before 1939: 25.1%
– Homes built since 2000: 12.6%
– Median year built: 1969
– Total homes: 10,756
#16. Fond du Lac County
– Homes built before 1939: 26.2%
– Homes built since 2000: 15.4%
– Median year built: 1971
– Total homes: 45,338
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#15. Pepin County
– Homes built before 1939: 26.6%
– Homes built since 2000: 18.4%
– Median year built: 1972
– Total homes: 3,691
#14. Iowa County
– Homes built before 1939: 26.6%
– Homes built since 2000: 19.3%
– Median year built: 1976
– Total homes: 10,944
#13. Douglas County
– Homes built before 1939: 26.7%
– Homes built since 2000: 12.7%
– Median year built: 1970
– Total homes: 23,263
#12. Clark County
– Homes built before 1939: 26.9%
– Homes built since 2000: 13.5%
– Median year built: 1970
– Total homes: 15,215
#11. Vernon County
– Homes built before 1939: 27.1%
– Homes built since 2000: 20.1%
– Median year built: 1973
– Total homes: 14,173
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#10. Sheboygan County
– Homes built before 1939: 27.4%
– Homes built since 2000: 12.8%
– Median year built: 1970
– Total homes: 51,249
#9. Green County
– Homes built before 1939: 27.4%
– Homes built since 2000: 15.5%
– Median year built: 1972
– Total homes: 16,097
#8. Buffalo County
– Homes built before 1939: 28.7%
– Homes built since 2000: 14.1%
– Median year built: 1970
– Total homes: 6,827
#7. Kewaunee County
– Homes built before 1939: 28.9%
– Homes built since 2000: 15.0%
– Median year built: 1969
– Total homes: 9,442
#6. Ashland County
– Homes built before 1939: 28.9%
– Homes built since 2000: 14.4%
– Median year built: 1970
– Total homes: 9,657
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#5. Dodge County
– Homes built before 1939: 29.8%
– Homes built since 2000: 15.1%
– Median year built: 1968
– Total homes: 37,942
#4. Richland County
– Homes built before 1939: 30.3%
– Homes built since 2000: 15.3%
– Median year built: 1969
– Total homes: 8,998
#3. Milwaukee County
– Homes built before 1939: 30.6%
– Homes built since 2000: 6.9%
– Median year built: 1955
– Total homes: 419,310
#2. Manitowoc County
– Homes built before 1939: 31.3%
– Homes built since 2000: 10.2%
– Median year built: 1961
– Total homes: 37,538
#1. Lafayette County
– Homes built before 1939: 34.2%
– Homes built since 2000: 13.4%
– Median year built: 1962
– Total homes: 7,325
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By Stacker
