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 Ohio with the most pre-war homes using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the highest percentage of homes that were built before 1939 based on 2020 5-year estimates.

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1 / 30Bwsmith84 // Wikimedia Commons

#30. Harrison County

– Homes built before 1939: 25.4%
– Homes built since 2000: 14.0%
– Median year built: 1969
– Total homes: 8,092

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#29. Ashland County

– Homes built before 1939: 25.5%
– Homes built since 2000: 14.0%
– Median year built: 1967
– Total homes: 22,361

3 / 30Cindy Funk // Wikicommons

#28. Clark County

– Homes built before 1939: 25.8%
– Homes built since 2000: 6.9%
– Median year built: 1961
– Total homes: 61,283

4 / 30Christopher L. Riley // Wikimedia Commons

#27. Perry County

– Homes built before 1939: 26.0%
– Homes built since 2000: 19.5%
– Median year built: 1976
– Total homes: 15,361

5 / 30Derek Jensen // Wikimedia Commons

#26. Auglaize County

– Homes built before 1939: 26.1%
– Homes built since 2000: 11.3%
– Median year built: 1970
– Total homes: 20,020

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#25. Preble County

– Homes built before 1939: 26.2%
– Homes built since 2000: 10.6%
– Median year built: 1969
– Total homes: 17,929

7 / 30Myself // Wikimedia Commons

#24. Paulding County

– Homes built before 1939: 26.2%
– Homes built since 2000: 11.2%
– Median year built: 1966
– Total homes: 8,764

8 / 30Tim Kiser // Wikimedia Commons

#23. Morgan County

– Homes built before 1939: 26.7%
– Homes built since 2000: 14.8%
– Median year built: 1973
– Total homes: 8,015

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#22. Tuscarawas County

– Homes built before 1939: 27.2%
– Homes built since 2000: 14.5%
– Median year built: 1969
– Total homes: 40,247

10 / 30Art Anderson // Wikimedia Commons

#21. Putnam County

– Homes built before 1939: 27.3%
– Homes built since 2000: 12.1%
– Median year built: 1970
– Total homes: 13,954

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#20. Huron County

– Homes built before 1939: 27.4%
– Homes built since 2000: 11.2%
– Median year built: 1967
– Total homes: 25,314

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#19. Columbiana County

– Homes built before 1939: 27.8%
– Homes built since 2000: 9.6%
– Median year built: 1963
– Total homes: 46,800

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#18. Belmont County

– Homes built before 1939: 28.6%
– Homes built since 2000: 9.3%
– Median year built: 1959
– Total homes: 32,202

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#17. Monroe County

– Homes built before 1939: 28.7%
– Homes built since 2000: 14.4%
– Median year built: 1969
– Total homes: 7,476

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#16. Fulton County

– Homes built before 1939: 29.0%
– Homes built since 2000: 13.2%
– Median year built: 1969
– Total homes: 17,584

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#15. Defiance County

– Homes built before 1939: 29.1%
– Homes built since 2000: 10.7%
– Median year built: 1966
– Total homes: 16,805

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#14. Cuyahoga County

– Homes built before 1939: 29.1%
– Homes built since 2000: 5.9%
– Median year built: 1956
– Total homes: 617,795

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#13. Ashtabula County

– Homes built before 1939: 29.2%
– Homes built since 2000: 8.8%
– Median year built: 1961
– Total homes: 46,224

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#12. Van Wert County

– Homes built before 1939: 29.2%
– Homes built since 2000: 8.4%
– Median year built: 1959
– Total homes: 12,724

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#11. Crawford County

– Homes built before 1939: 29.3%
– Homes built since 2000: 7.5%
– Median year built: 1960
– Total homes: 20,019

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#10. Coshocton County

– Homes built before 1939: 29.4%
– Homes built since 2000: 12.7%
– Median year built: 1966
– Total homes: 16,441

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#9. Williams County

– Homes built before 1939: 29.7%
– Homes built since 2000: 10.1%
– Median year built: 1965
– Total homes: 16,652

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#8. Marion County

– Homes built before 1939: 30.6%
– Homes built since 2000: 8.9%
– Median year built: 1961
– Total homes: 27,878

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#7. Wyandot County

– Homes built before 1939: 30.7%
– Homes built since 2000: 10.0%
– Median year built: 1964
– Total homes: 9,963

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#6. Hardin County

– Homes built before 1939: 31.0%
– Homes built since 2000: 10.4%
– Median year built: 1966
– Total homes: 13,224

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#5. Sandusky County

– Homes built before 1939: 31.4%
– Homes built since 2000: 7.6%
– Median year built: 1959
– Total homes: 26,347

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#4. Champaign County

– Homes built before 1939: 32.0%
– Homes built since 2000: 9.1%
– Median year built: 1968
– Total homes: 16,824

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#3. Darke County

– Homes built before 1939: 32.9%
– Homes built since 2000: 7.8%
– Median year built: 1960
– Total homes: 22,975

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#2. Henry County

– Homes built before 1939: 33.6%
– Homes built since 2000: 8.5%
– Median year built: 1960
– Total homes: 12,130

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#1. Seneca County

– Homes built before 1939: 36.1%
– Homes built since 2000: 7.6%
– Median year built: 1958
– Total homes: 24,157