About 1 in 4 American homes is more than 65 years old, and in New York it is more than half.
About 24.8% of all homes in the U.S., roughly 1 in 4, were built before 1960, according to the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey. That’s about 36.4 million of the country’s 146.7 million homes. About 16.8 million (11.5%) were built in 1939 or earlier.
Older homes are concentrated in the Northeast and Midwest:
- New York: 51.2%, more than half of all homes
- Massachusetts: 45.3%
- Rhode Island: 44.9%
- Pennsylvania: 44.4%
- Connecticut: 40.5%
Western states have far fewer: Nevada (4.3%), Arizona (7.6%) and Alaska (8.0%) had the lowest shares. The District of Columbia is also high at 49.5%.
Why the age of a home matters
Homes built before 1960 often have original parts that are near the end of their life, such as galvanized or cast-iron pipes, older wiring and electrical panels sized for far fewer appliances, and heating systems that weren’t designed for central air. All of them were built before lead-based house paint was banned in 1978. That doesn’t mean every older home has problems, since many have been updated, but it does mean more repair and upgrade work for the trades.
What this means if you run a trade business
In states with lots of older homes, plumbers, electricians and HVAC contractors can expect steady repair and replacement work, and often jobs in tight, hard-to-reach spaces. Make sure your coverage fits that kind of work. See our guides to plumbing insurance in New York, electrician insurance in Connecticut and HVAC insurance in Pennsylvania.
How we got these numbers
We used table B25034 (year structure built) from the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey 1-year estimates, adding the 1950s, 1940s and 1939-or-earlier groups. “Homes” means all housing units, including apartments, mobile homes and vacant units. Year built is reported by survey respondents and is less exact for older homes. The 2025 survey results are scheduled for October 29, 2026, according to the Census Bureau’s release schedule, and we plan to update this page then. Data pulled October 18, 2026.