The Nicest Historic Neighborhoods in the US

There’s no simple way to define a neighborhood as being “nice.” Most of the time, you just know it when you see it. There’s a certain sense of livability, a sense of charm, a vibe. When you’re in a nice neighborhood, you can just sense it, and 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. We’ve tracked down the nicest historic neighborhoods in the United States.

Of course, calling a neighborhood “nice” is completely subjective, as each person has their own individual preferences, priorities and values in what they look for in a neighborhood. There are a wide variety of factors that can contribute to the overall “niceness” of a neighborhood, including safety and security, cleanliness and maintenance, good schools, proximity to amenities and services, a strong sense of community, diversity in the community and in housing options, walkability, and green spaces with ample room for recreation.

For today’s purposes, however, we’re defining “nice” 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 the nicest historic neighborhoods in the United States, 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.)

50. Newtonville Historic District (Newton, MA)

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

49. South End District (Boston, MA)

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

48. Country Club Historic District (Edina, MN)

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

47. Lincoln Center Historic District (Lincoln, MA)

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

46. Bedford Village Historic District (Bedford, NY)

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

45. Watch Hill Historic District (Westerly, RI)

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

44. Boulevard Oaks Historic District (Houston, TX)

Source: Art Wager / E+ via Getty Images

Average home value: $1,557,180

• Median home age: N/A
• Year listed as historic district 2002

43. Brooklyn Heights Historic District (New York, NY)

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

42. Colorado Chautauqua (Boulder, CO)

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

41. Boston Post Road Historic District (Weston, MA)

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

40. Seneca-Onderdonk-Woodward Historic District (New York, NY)

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

39. South Village Historic District (New York, NY)

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

38. Prospect Heights Historic District (New York, NY)

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

37. Greenpoint Historic District (New York, NY)

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

36. Chelsea Historic District (New York, NY)

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

35. Chestnut Hill Historic District (Brookline, MA)

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

34. Stuyvesant Heights Historic District (New York, NY)

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

33. Lower Arroyo Seco Historic District (Pasadena, CA)

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

32. Wilton Historic District (Los Angeles, CA)

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

31. Avon Hill Historic District (Cambridge, MA)

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

30. Short Hills Park Historic District (Millburn, NJ)

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

29. Park Slope Historic District (New York, NY)

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

28. Belle Meade Golf Links Subdivision Historic District (Nashville, TN)

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

27. Manchester Village Historic District (Manchester, MA)

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

26. Compo–Owenoke Historic District (Westport, CT)

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

25. Fort Greene Historic District (New York, NY)

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

24. Boulevard Heights Historic District (Los Angeles, CA)

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

23. Back Bay Historic District (Boston, MA)

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

22. Greenwich Village Historic District (New York, NY)

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

21. Whitley Heights Historic District (Hollywood, CA)

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

20. South Street Seaport (New York, NY)

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

19. Central Park West Historic District (New York, NY)

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

18. Boerum Hill Historic District (New York, NY)

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

17. Carroll Gardens Historic District (New York, NY)

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

16. Case’s Corner Historic District (Weston, MA)

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

15. Cypress Avenue East Historic District (New York, NY)

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

14. Gansevoort Market Historic District (New York, NY)

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

13. Beacon Hill Historic District (Boston, MA)

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

12. Treadwell Farm Historic District (New York, NY)

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

11. Cobble Hill Historic District (New York, NY)

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

10. DUMBO Industrial District (New York, NY)

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

9. Soho Historic District (New York, NY)

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

8. Greenmeadow (Palo Alto, CA)

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

7. Park Avenue Historic District (New York, NY)

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

6. Dallas Downtown Historic District (Dallas, TX)

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

5. Upper East Side Historic District (New York, NY)

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

4. Southampton Village Historic District (Southampton, NY)

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

3. Sagaponack Historic District (Southampton, NY)

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

2. Professorville Historic District (Palo Alto, CA)

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

1. Naples Historic District (Naples, FL)

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