Counties in New Jersey with the most pre-war homes
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 New Jersey 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 before 1939 based on 2020 5-year estimates.
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#21. Ocean County
– Homes built before 1939: 4.3%
– Homes built since 2000: 19.8%
– Median year built: 1980
– Total homes: 284,773
#20. Somerset County
– Homes built before 1939: 9.9%
– Homes built since 2000: 13.7%
– Median year built: 1980
– Total homes: 127,090
#19. Middlesex County
– Homes built before 1939: 10.5%
– Homes built since 2000: 12.7%
– Median year built: 1972
– Total homes: 302,650
#18. Gloucester County
– Homes built before 1939: 11.1%
– Homes built since 2000: 19.6%
– Median year built: 1978
– Total homes: 113,945
#17. Burlington County
– Homes built before 1939: 11.1%
– Homes built since 2000: 14.3%
– Median year built: 1976
– Total homes: 179,955
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#16. Morris County
– Homes built before 1939: 12.9%
– Homes built since 2000: 10.9%
– Median year built: 1970
– Total homes: 194,426
#15. Monmouth County
– Homes built before 1939: 13.7%
– Homes built since 2000: 13.5%
– Median year built: 1973
– Total homes: 262,088
#14. Sussex County
– Homes built before 1939: 14.4%
– Homes built since 2000: 10.8%
– Median year built: 1972
– Total homes: 62,492
#13. Cape May County
– Homes built before 1939: 14.5%
– Homes built since 2000: 20.6%
– Median year built: 1978
– Total homes: 99,394
#12. Atlantic County
– Homes built before 1939: 16.0%
– Homes built since 2000: 17.1%
– Median year built: 1974
– Total homes: 128,472
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#11. Cumberland County
– Homes built before 1939: 16.7%
– Homes built since 2000: 12.9%
– Median year built: 1968
– Total homes: 56,411
#10. Hunterdon County
– Homes built before 1939: 17.5%
– Homes built since 2000: 12.0%
– Median year built: 1978
– Total homes: 50,437
#9. Camden County
– Homes built before 1939: 18.0%
– Homes built since 2000: 8.1%
– Median year built: 1966
– Total homes: 206,247
#8. Bergen County
– Homes built before 1939: 20.1%
– Homes built since 2000: 9.3%
– Median year built: 1959
– Total homes: 359,097
#7. Salem County
– Homes built before 1939: 21.1%
– Homes built since 2000: 9.2%
– Median year built: 1964
– Total homes: 27,607
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#6. Mercer County
– Homes built before 1939: 22.0%
– Homes built since 2000: 11.3%
– Median year built: 1964
– Total homes: 145,115
#5. Warren County
– Homes built before 1939: 22.7%
– Homes built since 2000: 12.8%
– Median year built: 1971
– Total homes: 45,548
#4. Union County
– Homes built before 1939: 24.4%
– Homes built since 2000: 7.9%
– Median year built: 1955
– Total homes: 202,823
#3. Passaic County
– Homes built before 1939: 25.9%
– Homes built since 2000: 7.1%
– Median year built: 1956
– Total homes: 177,216
#2. Essex County
– Homes built before 1939: 30.7%
– Homes built since 2000: 9.7%
– Median year built: 1956
– Total homes: 318,385
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#1. Hudson County
– Homes built before 1939: 33.0%
– Homes built since 2000: 17.9%
– Median year built: 1960
– Total homes: 284,561
By Stacker
