(STACKER) - 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 Illinois 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 in 1939 or earlier based on 2023 5-year estimates.

#50. Crawford County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 21.8% (1,847 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (12 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1965
- National rank: #762

- Total homes built: 8,461

#49. Franklin County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 22.0% (4,070 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (65 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1965
- National rank: #752

- Total homes built: 18,468

#48. Fayette County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 22.4% (1,985 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (33 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1970
- National rank: #733

- Total homes built: 8,849

#47. Rock Island County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 22.8% (15,204 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (218 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1962
- National rank: #716

- Total homes built: 66,742

#46. Henderson County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 23.0% (777 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (4 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1973
- National rank: #705

- Total homes built: 3,374

#45. Schuyler County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 23.2% (770 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.6% (19 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1971
- National rank: #693

- Total homes built: 3,317

#44. Coles County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 23.2% (5,278 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (35 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1970
- National rank: #691

- Total homes built: 22,717

#43. Clark County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 23.6% (1,729 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (0 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1969
- National rank: #674

- Total homes built: 7,333

#42. Adams County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 23.6% (7,147 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (86 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1964
- National rank: #672

- Total homes built: 30,283

#41. Menard County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 23.7% (1,326 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (3 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1975
- National rank: #667

- Total homes built: 5,602

#40. Wabash County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 24.3% (1,318 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (1 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1967
- National rank: #642

- Total homes built: 5,416

#39. Cass County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 24.8% (1,405 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.7% (42 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1967
- National rank: #617

- Total homes built: 5,665

#38. Jo Daviess County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 25.0% (3,353 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.7% (91 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1976
- National rank: #607

- Total homes built: 13,425

#37. Douglas County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 25.0% (2,124 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.7% (57 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1968
- National rank: #604

- Total homes built: 8,492

#36. Morgan County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 25.2% (3,787 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (52 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1966
- National rank: #595

- Total homes built: 15,033

#35. LaSalle County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 25.2% (12,557 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.5% (233 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1963
- National rank: #594

- Total homes built: 49,838

#34. Logan County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 25.5% (3,051 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (4 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1964
- National rank: #579

- Total homes built: 11,984

#33. Moultrie County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 25.5% (1,585 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.6% (40 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1967
- National rank: #573

- Total homes built: 6,205

#32. Whiteside County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 25.7% (6,653 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (49 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1960
- National rank: #563

- Total homes built: 25,850

#31. Macoupin County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 26.3% (5,556 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (60 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1966
- National rank: #527

- Total homes built: 21,108

#30. McDonough County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 27.8% (3,776 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (13 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1966
- National rank: #460

- Total homes built: 13,598

#29. Montgomery County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 27.8% (3,486 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (56 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1963
- National rank: #455

- Total homes built: 12,528

#28. Cook County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 27.9% (634,463 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (7,617 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1961
- National rank: #449

- Total homes built: 2,270,349

#27. Shelby County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 28.3% (2,841 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (22 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1965
- National rank: #429

- Total homes built: 10,054

#26. Mason County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 28.5% (1,885 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (10 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1962
- National rank: #419

- Total homes built: 6,615

#25. Edgar County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 28.6% (2,352 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (10 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1964
- National rank: #416

- Total homes built: 8,236

#24. Marshall County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 28.8% (1,679 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (3 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1962
- National rank: #400

- Total homes built: 5,824

#23. Lawrence County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 28.9% (1,835 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (6 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1963
- National rank: #399

- Total homes built: 6,358

#22. Iroquois County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 29.3% (3,752 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (2 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1960
- National rank: #380

- Total homes built: 12,818

#21. De Witt County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 29.3% (2,145 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (18 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1961
- National rank: #378

- Total homes built: 7,312

#20. Fulton County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 29.4% (4,675 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (6 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1959
- National rank: #373

- Total homes built: 15,883

#19. Henry County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 29.4% (6,538 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.4% (83 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1961
- National rank: #372

- Total homes built: 22,208

#18. Lee County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 30.4% (4,565 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (31 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1962
- National rank: #327

- Total homes built: 14,993

#17. Livingston County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 31.0% (4,938 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.9% (145 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1961
- National rank: #306

- Total homes built: 15,930

#16. Pike County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 31.3% (2,280 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (4 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1960
- National rank: #299

- Total homes built: 7,296

#15. Christian County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 31.4% (4,777 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (27 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1963
- National rank: #291

- Total homes built: 15,190

#14. Brown County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 31.9% (740 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.5% (12 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1960
- National rank: #276

- Total homes built: 2,321

#13. Hancock County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 32.2% (2,882 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (14 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1963
- National rank: #264

- Total homes built: 8,959

#12. Bureau County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 33.3% (5,203 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (13 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1957
- National rank: #221

- Total homes built: 15,646

#11. Carroll County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 33.5% (2,742 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (12 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1959
- National rank: #212

- Total homes built: 8,190

#10. Stark County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 33.6% (868 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (3 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1956
- National rank: #206

- Total homes built: 2,584

#9. Scott County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 33.7% (807 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.0% (1 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1962
- National rank: #204

- Total homes built: 2,393

#8. Stephenson County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 33.7% (7,213 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (22 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1959
- National rank: #202

- Total homes built: 21,375

#7. Calhoun County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 33.9% (780 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (5 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1968
- National rank: #191

- Total homes built: 2,298

#6. Mercer County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 34.0% (2,472 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.2% (15 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1960
- National rank: #190

- Total homes built: 7,279

#5. Warren County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 34.7% (2,636 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (4 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1956
- National rank: #166

- Total homes built: 7,598

#4. Ford County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 35.3% (2,213 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.6% (40 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1955
- National rank: #151

- Total homes built: 6,263

#3. Knox County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 35.9% (8,551 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.1% (14 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1956
- National rank: #135

- Total homes built: 23,788

#2. Vermilion County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 36.2% (12,463 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (100 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1958
- National rank: #126

- Total homes built: 34,390

#1. Greene County

- Homes built 1939 or earlier: 37.5% (2,178 homes)
- Homes built since 2000: 0.3% (16 homes)
- Median year homes built: 1956
- National rank: #99

- Total homes built: 5,801