America’s Most Charming Historic Neighborhoods

The United States is one of the largest countries in the world with 3,532,316 square miles of land. This equates to more than enough space for a variety of living spaces from cities to towns to villages to rural locals. Not everyone agrees on which areas are the best – urban, suburban, or rural – yet when it comes to certain sections, there may be no denying the charm that captures the essence of America more than historic neighborhoods.

There's just something about a historic neighborhood that gives you a feeling of Americana. It's that timeless charm that exudes from the community that can't be defined. It's that vibe, that feeling of enchantment that you get from walking around, it almost mesmerizes you. Of course, if the neighborhood also happens to be so historic that it's been listed in the National Register of Historic Places, that's certainly a plus.

What exactly gives a neighborhood timeless charm may be up for debate, and can be subjective. For this article, we've defined "timeless charm" by one primary metric: average home value. The higher the home value, ostensibly, the higher the taxes paid to the community, and the more resources that can be allocated to the community.

To determine historic neighborhoods that capture America's timeless charm, 24/7 Tempo reviewed district listings from the National Register of Historic Places and five-year data on home value from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2022 American Community Survey. Historic districts registered in the NRHP were ranked based on the average home value of owner-occupied housing units within their boundaries.

District-level average home values were aggregated from the census tract level using spatial boundary definitions from the NRHP and the U.S. Census Bureau. Data on median home age is also from the U.S. Census Bureau. Only historic districts with at least 50 housing units were considered. (If you liked this article, be sure to check out The Fastest Growing Neighborhoods in America.)

• Average home value: $1,502,145
• Median home age: N/A
• Year listed as historic district 1986

• Average home value: $1,511,182
• Median home age: 58 years
• Year listed as historic district 1973

• Average home value: $1,512,186
• Median home age: 70 years
• Year listed as historic district 1982

• Average home value: $1,512,567
• Median home age: 51 years
• Year listed as historic district 1985

• Average home value: $1,537,295
• Median home age: 55 years
• Year listed as historic district 1973

• Average home value: $1,538,283
• Median home age: 53 years
• Year listed as historic district 1985

• Average home value: $1,557,180
• Median home age: N/A
• Year listed as historic district 2002

• Average home value: $1,633,070
• Median home age: 66 years
• Year listed as historic district 1966

• Average home value: $1,633,704
• Median home age: 56 years
• Year listed as historic district 1978

• Average home value: $1,643,896
• Median home age: 63 years
• Year listed as historic district 1983

• Average home value: $1,653,966
• Median home age: N/A
• Year listed as historic district 1983

• Average home value: $1,683,685
• Median home age: 61 years
• Year listed as historic district 2014

• Average home value: $1,694,198
• Median home age: N/A
• Year listed as historic district 1983

• Average home value: $1,719,413
• Median home age: 83 years
• Year listed as historic district 1983

• Average home value: $1,739,231
• Median home age: N/A
• Year listed as historic district 1977

• Average home value: $1,739,842
• Median home age: 33 years
• Year listed as historic district 1985

• Average home value: $1,743,724
• Median home age: 48 years
• Year listed as historic district 1975

• Average home value: $1,752,484
• Median home age: 68 years
• Year listed as historic district 2005

• Average home value: $1,796,115
• Median home age: 69 years
• Year listed as historic district 1979

• Average home value: $1,819,137
• Median home age: N/A
• Year listed as historic district 1983

• Average home value: $1,839,368
• Median home age: 70 years
• Year listed as historic district 1980

• Average home value: $1,917,336
• Median home age: 69 years
• Year listed as historic district 1980

• Average home value: $1,948,270
• Median home age: 61 years
• Year listed as historic district 2004

• Average home value: $1,962,305
• Median home age: 73 years
• Year listed as historic district 1990

• Average home value: $1,976,455
• Median home age: 65 years
• Year listed as historic district 1991

• Average home value: $2,023,500
• Median home age: 45 years
• Year listed as historic district 1983

• Average home value: $2,053,083
• Median home age: 76 years
• Year listed as historic district 2012

• Average home value: $2,072,253
• Median home age: 52 years
• Year listed as historic district 1973

• Average home value: $2,083,653
• Median home age: 71 years
• Year listed as historic district 1979

• Average home value: $2,106,771
• Median home age: 61 years
• Year listed as historic district 1982

• Average home value: $2,137,692
• Median home age: 46 years
• Year listed as historic district 1972

• Average home value: $2,194,399
• Median home age: 58 years
• Year listed as historic district 1982

• Average home value: $2,251,420
• Median home age: 73 years
• Year listed as historic district 1983

• Average home value: $2,256,364
• Median home age: 60 years
• Year listed as historic district 1983

• Average home value: $2,267,025
• Median home age: 62 years
• Year listed as historic district 2002

• Average home value: $2,279,807
• Median home age: 81 years
• Year listed as historic district 1983

• Average home value: $2,284,178
• Median home age: 43 years
• Year listed as historic district 2007

• Average home value: $2,292,316
• Median home age: 51 years
• Year listed as historic district 1966

• Average home value: $2,378,833
• Median home age: 62 years
• Year listed as historic district 2004

• Average home value: $2,402,056
• Median home age: N/A
• Year listed as historic district 1976

• Average home value: $2,588,213
• Median home age: 21 years
• Year listed as historic district 2000

• Average home value: $2,650,493
• Median home age: 64 years
• Year listed as historic district 1978

• Average home value: $2,826,961
• Median home age: 60 years
• Year listed as historic district 2005

• Average home value: $2,845,683
• Median home age: 64 years
• Year listed as historic district 2010

• Average home value: $3,142,962
• Median home age: 49 years
• Year listed as historic district 2006

• Average home value: $3,338,803
• Median home age: 73 years
• Year listed as historic district 1984

• Average home value: $3,362,186
• Median home age: 53 years
• Year listed as historic district 1988

• Average home value: $3,447,703
• Median home age: 36 years
• Year listed as historic district 2000

• Average home value: $4,220,708
• Median home age: 71 years
• Year listed as historic district 1980

• Average home value: $4,310,660
• Median home age: 33 years
• Year listed as historic district 1987