Rankings · Housing

Highest built before 1980 by state

Share of homes built before 1980.

This measure has no better end. The order describes the states, it does not rank them — see the other direction.

1980 is the practical line for lead paint and asbestos-era materials, which is why this is the cut rather than a round number of decades. A high share is not a verdict — older housing is often better built and better located — but it changes what an inspection should look for and what renovation costs. From Census table B25034.

  1. 1New York73.9%
  2. 2Rhode Island70.9%
  3. 3District of Columbia69.0%
  4. 4Massachusetts67.4%
  5. 5Connecticut67.2%
  6. 6Pennsylvania67.2%
  7. 7Illinois63.5%
  8. 8Ohio63.4%
  9. 9New Jersey62.8%
  10. 10Michigan62.1%
  11. 11Iowa61.6%
  12. 12Nebraska57.2%
  13. 13Wisconsin57.0%
  14. 14California56.0%
  15. 15Vermont56.0%
  16. 16Kansas55.9%
  17. 17West Virginia55.9%
  18. 18Indiana55.0%
  19. 19Maine54.4%
  20. 20Missouri52.8%
  21. 21Minnesota52.1%
  22. 22New Hampshire51.5%
  23. 23Maryland51.2%
  24. 24Hawaii50.4%
  25. 25South Dakota49.7%
  26. 26Oklahoma49.4%
  27. 27Oregon49.1%
  28. 28Wyoming49.1%
  29. 29Montana48.9%
  30. 30North Dakota47.8%
  31. 31Kentucky47.1%
  32. 32Louisiana46.3%
  33. 33Virginia43.5%
  34. 34Washington43.4%
  35. 35New Mexico42.7%
  36. 36Alabama42.1%
  37. 37Delaware41.9%
  38. 38Mississippi41.5%
  39. 39Tennessee40.8%
  40. 40Colorado39.7%
  41. 41Arkansas39.6%
  42. 42Idaho39.0%
  43. 43Alaska36.8%
  44. 44Utah35.5%
  45. 45Florida34.0%
  46. 46North Carolina33.9%
  47. 47Texas33.2%
  48. 48South Carolina32.8%
  49. 49Georgia31.5%
  50. 50Arizona29.3%
  51. 51Nevada22.0%
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Source: U.S. Census Bureau. · How this is built