Thomas R Machnitzki (thomas@machnitzki.com) // Wikimedia Commons

Counties with the oldest homes in Mississippi

There’s an undeniable charm that comes with pre-World War II American architecture, characterized by high ceilings, crown molding, hardwood floors, and ornate details. In fact, 12.8% of all housing units in America were built in 1939 or before, showing the popularity of the preservation of these units. Owning a piece of history can sometimes come with a cost: Many old homes come with asbestos, lead piping, knob-and-tube wiring, and other outdated building styles that can rack up a hefty price tag to modernize. However, with more and more modernized pre-war homes on the market, generally located just outside bustling downtown metros, investing in property that has withstood the test of time is an attractive prospect.

Stacker compiled a list of the counties in Mississippi with the oldest homes using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by median year the structure was built, with ties broken by the most homes before 1939.

The country’s domestic architecture is perhaps best characterized by a rugged individualism as opposed to the hybridization of disparate architectural elements. As Maya Angelou once perceptively observed, “the ache for home lives in all of us,” a phrase that has meant very different things to different people.

Modest or palatial, there is no shortage of noteworthy homes in the U.S. Log cabins constructed by industrious pioneers have dotted the landscape alongside traditional Native American dwellings ever since immigrant Swedes introduced them to the New World in 1638. The unprecedented personal fortunes amassed by the so-called “Robber Barons” at the close of the 19th century gave way to the construction of a staggering number of Gilded Age estates.

The ravages of time spared neither the sumptuous nor the humble. Stately mansions, often prohibitively costly to maintain in the modern era, were frequently neglected; simple structures were forgotten, discarded by their owners, and damaged by natural elements. However, the tireless efforts of architectural preservationists and local historical societies have saved many of these homes from demolition, leading to their inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places and thereby safeguarding them for future generations.

Keep reading to learn more about which counties in Mississippi have the oldest homes.

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Gabriel D. May // Wikimedia Commons

#30. Marion County

– Median year homes built: 1979
— #1,871 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 4.1%
— #2,663 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 12,060

Infrogmation of New Orleans // Wikimedia Commons

#29. Claiborne County

– Median year homes built: 1979
— #1,862 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.0%
— #2,491 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 4,336

Thomas R Machnitzki // Wikimedia Commons

#28. Tallahatchie County

– Median year homes built: 1979
— #1,851 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.7%
— #2,339 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 5,635

Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD // Wikimedia Commons

#27. Humphreys County

– Median year homes built: 1979
— #1,850 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.9%
— #2,304 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 3,819

Mthunter58 // Wikimedia Commons

#26. Jefferson County

– Median year homes built: 1979
— #1,835 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.9%
— #2,134 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 3,770

Z28scrambler // Wikimedia Commons

#25. Pike County

– Median year homes built: 1979
— #1,834 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.9%
— #2,125 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 18,519

NatalieMaynor // Wikimedia Commons

#24. Webster County

– Median year homes built: 1979
— #1,828 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 7.4%
— #2,026 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 4,857

Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD // Wikimedia Commons

#23. Copiah County

– Median year homes built: 1979
— #1,799 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 10.2%
— #1,666 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 12,333

Tony Webster // Wikimedia Commons

#22. Attala County

– Median year homes built: 1979
— #1,798 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 10.3%
— #1,650 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 9,239

Mark Hilton // Wikimedia Commons

#21. Winston County

– Median year homes built: 1978
— #1,727 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 4.0%
— #2,676 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 8,755

Cohee // Wikimedia Commons

#20. Chickasaw County

– Median year homes built: 1978
— #1,718 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.3%
— #2,424 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 7,596

Carlcath // Wikimedia Commons

#19. Clay County

– Median year homes built: 1978
— #1,717 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.3%
— #2,418 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 9,289

Natalie Maynor // Wikimedia Commons

#18. Sharkey County

– Median year homes built: 1978
— #1,706 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.4%
— #2,218 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 2,150

Chillin662 // Wikimedia Commons

#17. Yazoo County

– Median year homes built: 1978
— #1,702 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.8%
— #2,143 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 10,107

Dudemanfellabra // Wikimedia Commons

#16. Lauderdale County

– Median year homes built: 1978
— #1,694 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 7.9%
— #1,945 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 35,297

Cohee // Wikimedia Commons

#15. Prentiss County

– Median year homes built: 1977
— #1,613 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 4.2%
— #2,647 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 11,206

Brian Stansberry // Wikimedia Commons

#14. Monroe County

– Median year homes built: 1977
— #1,608 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.4%
— #2,405 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 16,561

Cohee // Wikimedia Commons

#13. Calhoun County

– Median year homes built: 1977
— #1,607 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.8%
— #2,336 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 7,007

Renelibrary // Wikimedia Commons

#12. Warren County

– Median year homes built: 1977
— #1,599 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.7%
— #2,150 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 22,062

Matthew Nichols // Wikimedia Commons

#11. Grenada County

– Median year homes built: 1977
— #1,596 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 7.0%
— #2,096 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 10,243

Qqqqqq // Wikimedia Commons

#10. Montgomery County

– Median year homes built: 1977
— #1,569 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 10.1%
— #1,679 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 5,704

Jimmy Emerson from Dalton GA // Wikimedia Commons

#9. Sunflower County

– Median year homes built: 1976
— #1,488 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 4.5%
— #2,568 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 9,668

NatalieMaynor // Wikimedia Commons

#8. Kemper County

– Median year homes built: 1976
— #1,421 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 12.9%
— #1,411 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 4,766

Hamhari Brown // Wikimedia Commons

#7. Bolivar County

– Median year homes built: 1975
— #1,343 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.0%
— #2,296 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 14,357

Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD // Wikimedia Commons

#6. Leflore County

– Median year homes built: 1975
— #1,340 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.7%
— #2,155 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 13,126

Michlaovic // Wikimedia

#5. Hinds County

– Median year homes built: 1974
— #1,238 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 3.8%
— #2,705 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 104,284

Nicholas Brown // Wikimedia Commons

#4. Washington County

– Median year homes built: 1972
— #1,030 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 5.9%
— #2,305 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 21,591

Chris Crookston // Wikimedia Commons

#3. Coahoma County

– Median year homes built: 1972
— #1,028 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 6.6%
— #2,185 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 10,711

Thomas R Machnitzki (thomas@machnitzki.com) // Wikimedia Commons

#2. Quitman County

– Median year homes built: 1972
— #1,027 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 7.0%
— #2,097 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 3,581

Z28scrambler // Wikimedia Commons

#1. Adams County

– Median year homes built: 1971
— #951 oldest among all counties nationwide
– Homes built 1939 or earlier: 7.7%
— #1,972 most among all counties nationwide
– Number of homes: 14,692