The oldest surviving residential structure in America, the Fairbanks House in Dedham, Massachusetts, was built sometime around 1640 (it is a historical museum today). The youngest one? It is – or they are – going up at this very moment. (Here are some famous historic homes currently for sale.)
The median age of homes in this country might be less than you think it is. To determine which states have the oldest homes overall, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on building age from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey. States were ranked based on the median age of all housing units in each state. Supplemental data on the share of homes built before 1960 and the average value of homes built before 1960 was calculated using five-year data from the 2020 ACS. Data on the first registered historic home in each state comes from the National Register of Historic Places. (These are the cities with the highest concentration of historic places.)
The five states with the oldest median home age are all in the Northeast – New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut, all among the first 13 states to join the Union. Homes in these five states were typically built in 1965 or earlier. These five states also have the highest percentage of homes constructed before 1960, all above 43%.
Another Northeastern state with older homes is New Jersey, at No. 7 on the list. The rest of the top ten states are Midwestern – Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, and Michigan.
Nevada is the most modern state, residentially speaking, with just 5% of its homes built before 1960. Western and Southern states in general had the newest homes of any region in the country.
Homes built in Hawaii before 1960 – the year after it joined the Union – had the highest average value of those in any state at $461,661. California was second at $417,734. Homes built in Arkansas before 1960 had the lowest value of any state at $66,843, followed by Mississippi at $69,651.
50. Nevada
> Median age of homes: 28 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 5.0 (the lowest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $122,876 (23rd highest)
> First registered historic home: Virginia City Historic District (listed 1966)
49. Arizona
> Median age of homes: 32 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 8.0 (3rd lowest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $136,144 (18th highest)
> First registered historic home: Old Tubac Schoolhouse (listed 1970)
48. Georgia
> Median age of homes: 33 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 12.7 (5th lowest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $114,116 (23rd lowest)
> First registered historic home: Joel Chandler Harris House (listed 1966)
47. South Carolina
> Median age of homes: 33 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 13.3 (6th lowest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $114,871 (24th lowest)
> First registered historic home: Miles Brewton House (listed 1966)
46. Utah
> Median age of homes: 33 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 16.8 (12th lowest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $180,445 (12th highest)
> First registered historic home: Brigham Young Complex (listed 1966)
45. Idaho
> Median age of homes: 34 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 18.3 (16th lowest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $127,472 (22nd highest)
> First registered historic home: Thomas E. Logan House (listed 1971)
44. North Carolina
> Median age of homes: 34 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 15.4 (10th lowest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $103,843 (16th lowest)
> First registered historic home: Guilford Courthouse National Military Park (listed 1966)
43. Texas
> Median age of homes: 35 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 14.4 (7th lowest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $108,726 (19th lowest)
> First registered historic home: Ashton Villa (listed 1969)
42. Florida
> Median age of homes: 36 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 11.1 (4th lowest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $167,496 (13th highest)
> First registered historic home: Ernest Hemingway House (listed 1968)
41. Delaware
> Median age of homes: 37 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 22.7 (21st lowest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $161,149 (14th highest)
> First registered historic home: John Dickinson House (listed 1966)
40. Alabama
> Median age of homes: 38 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 17.2 (13th lowest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $84,662 (8th lowest)
> First registered historic home: J. L. M. Curry House (listed 1966)
39. Alaska
> Median age of homes: 38 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 7.8 (2nd lowest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $130,723 (21st highest)
> First registered historic home: Russian-American Company Magazin (listed 1966)
38. Arkansas
> Median age of homes: 38 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 14.9 (8th lowest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $66,843 (the lowest)
> First registered historic home: Old State House (listed 1969)
37. Colorado
> Median age of homes: 38 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 17.5 (14th lowest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $232,109 (7th highest)
> First registered historic home: Yucca House National Monument (listed 1966)
36. Mississippi
> Median age of homes: 38 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 15.1 (9th lowest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $69,651 (2nd lowest)
> First registered historic home: William Faulkner House (listed 1968)
35. Tennessee
> Median age of homes: 38 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 18.9 (17th lowest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $104,655 (17th lowest)
> First registered historic home: James K. Polk House (listed 1966)
34. New Mexico
> Median age of homes: 39 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 18.1 (15th lowest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $117,073 (25th lowest)
> First registered historic home: Kit Carson House (listed 1966)
33. Virginia
> Median age of homes: 40 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 20.2 (19th lowest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $186,835 (11th highest)
> First registered historic home: Bacon’s Castle (listed 1966)
32. Washington
> Median age of homes: 40 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 22.0 (20th lowest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $280,385 (3rd highest)
> First registered historic home: Fort Nisqually Granary and Factor’s House (listed 1970)
31. Kentucky
> Median age of homes: 42 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 22.9 (23rd lowest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $91,475 (13th lowest)
> First registered historic home: Zachary Taylor House (listed 1966)
30. Louisiana
> Median age of homes: 42 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 20.0 (18th lowest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $106,204 (18th lowest)
> First registered historic home: George Washington Cable House (listed 1966)
29. Hawaii
> Median age of homes: 43 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 15.5 (11th lowest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $461,661 (the highest)
> First registered historic home: Kawaiahao Church and Mission Houses (listed 1966)
28. North Dakota
> Median age of homes: 43 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 25.3 (25th highest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $97,523 (15th lowest)
> First registered historic home: Oxford House (listed 1973)
27. Oklahoma
> Median age of homes: 43 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 22.7 (22nd lowest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $69,809 (3rd lowest)
> First registered historic home: Creek National Capitol (listed 1966)
26. Oregon
> Median age of homes: 43 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 24.2 (24th lowest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $236,307 (5th highest)
> First registered historic home: McLoughlin House National Historic Site (listed 1966)
25. Wyoming
> Median age of homes: 43 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 24.6 (25th lowest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $121,373 (25th highest)
> First registered historic home: T E Ranch Headquarters (listed 1973)
24. Montana
> Median age of homes: 44 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 27.3 (24th highest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $130,895 (20th highest)
> First registered historic home: Charles M. Russell House and Studio (listed 1966)
23. Maryland
> Median age of homes: 45 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 28.1 (23rd highest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $195,087 (10th highest)
> First registered historic home: Hammond-Harwood House (listed 1966)
22. Minnesota
> Median age of homes: 45 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 30.2 (19th highest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $155,227 (16th highest)
> First registered historic home: James J. Hill House (listed 1966)
21. New Hampshire
> Median age of homes: 45 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 30.3 (18th highest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $144,459 (17th highest)
> First registered historic home: MacPheadris-Warner House (listed 1966)
20. South Dakota
> Median age of homes: 45 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 30.2 (20th highest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $88,250 (11th lowest)
> First registered historic home: Austin-Whittemore House (listed 1972)
19. Missouri
> Median age of homes: 46 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 28.6 (21st highest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $88,015 (10th lowest)
> First registered historic home: Ste. Genevieve Historic District (listed 1966)
18. California
> Median age of homes: 47 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 28.1 (22nd highest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $417,734 (2nd highest)
> First registered historic home: Larkin House (listed 1966)
17. Maine
> Median age of homes: 47 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 35.6 (11th highest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $113,970 (22nd lowest)
> First registered historic home: Lady Pepperrell House (listed 1966)
16. Vermont
> Median age of homes: 47 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 34.5 (13th highest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $122,037 (24th highest)
> First registered historic home: Emma Willard House (listed 1966)
15. West Virginia
> Median age of homes: 47 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 33.6 (16th highest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $70,635 (4th lowest)
> First registered historic home: Alexander Wade House (listed 1966)
14. Indiana
> Median age of homes: 48 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 33.4 (17th highest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $81,165 (6th lowest)
> First registered historic home: James Whitcomb Riley House (listed 1966)
13. Kansas
> Median age of homes: 48 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 34.3 (15th highest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $76,573 (5th lowest)
> First registered historic home: Warkentin House (listed 1970)
12. Wisconsin
> Median age of homes: 48 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 35.1 (12th highest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $109,522 (20th lowest)
> First registered historic home: Astor Fur Warehouse (listed 1966)
11. Nebraska
> Median age of homes: 49 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 34.4 (14th highest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $86,289 (9th lowest)
> First registered historic home: Fort Robinson and Red Cloud Agency (listed 1966)
10. Michigan
> Median age of homes: 51 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 36.8 (10th highest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $94,003 (14th lowest)
> First registered historic home: Mackinac Point Lighthouse (listed 1969)
9. Iowa
> Median age of homes: 52 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 40.3 (6th highest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $88,487 (12th lowest)
> First registered historic home: Grenville M. Dodge House (listed 1966)
8. Illinois
> Median age of homes: 53 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 39.7 (9th highest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $132,202 (19th highest)
> First registered historic home: Ulysses S. Grant House (listed 1966)
7. New Jersey
> Median age of homes: 54 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 39.9 (8th highest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $221,255 (8th highest)
> First registered historic home: Walt Whitman House (listed 1966)
6. Ohio
> Median age of homes: 54 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 40.0 (7th highest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $82,979 (7th lowest)
> First registered historic home: Paul Laurence Dunbar House (listed 1966)
5. Connecticut
> Median age of homes: 57 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 43.0 (5th highest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $203,100 (9th highest)
> First registered historic home: Stanley-Whitman House (listed 1966)
4. Pennsylvania
> Median age of homes: 59 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 46.6 (4th highest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $113,702 (21st lowest)
> First registered historic home: Conrad Weiser House (listed 1966)
3. Massachusetts
> Median age of homes: 61 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 48.7 (3rd highest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $269,584 (4th highest)
> First registered historic home: John Whipple House (listed 1966)
2. Rhode Island
> Median age of homes: 61 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 49.1 (2nd highest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $157,523 (15th highest)
> First registered historic home: Old Colony House (listed 1966)
1. New York
> Median age of homes: 65 years
> Percentage of homes built before 1960: 54.3 (the highest)
> Average value of homes built before 1960: $235,404 (6th highest)
> First registered historic home: Washington’s Headquarters (listed 1966)