Of the 40 states and the District of Columbia where we are licensed, the District of Columbia has the largest share of older homes: about 52.2 of every 100 homes were built before 1960. Massachusetts, at about 46.5, and Pennsylvania, at about 44.9, come next. Nevada has the smallest share, about 4.7, followed by Alaska at about 7.6 and Arizona at about 7.8. The national figure is about 25.6.
I put this table together for real estate investors who buy homes that need work, because older housing is where much of that work is. A fix and flip loan is a business-purpose loan: short-term financing for a real estate investor to buy and renovate a property, then sell it or refinance it into a long-term loan, with the renovation money released in draws as the work is done.
The table: 40 states and the District of Columbia
“Per 100” means out of every 100 homes in the state, occupied or vacant. The margin of error is the Census Bureau’s, at 90 in 100 confidence. The last column counts homes built in 1939 or earlier.
| State | Homes built before 1960, per 100 | Margin of error, per 100 | Homes built before 1960 | Homes built before 1940, per 100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 52.2 | 1.0 | 188,504 | 31.5 |
| Massachusetts | 46.5 | 0.3 | 1,408,780 | 30.5 |
| Pennsylvania | 44.9 | 0.2 | 2,608,762 | 25.0 |
| Connecticut | 40.6 | 0.4 | 626,102 | 20.2 |
| Iowa | 37.9 | 0.3 | 544,420 | 23.5 |
| Illinois | 37.8 | 0.2 | 2,061,672 | 20.2 |
| New Jersey | 37.7 | 0.3 | 1,427,874 | 17.4 |
| Ohio | 37.7 | 0.2 | 1,992,940 | 19.0 |
| Michigan | 35.7 | 0.2 | 1,650,831 | 14.6 |
| Wisconsin | 33.3 | 0.2 | 926,391 | 17.8 |
| Kansas | 32.3 | 0.3 | 418,235 | 15.4 |
| Indiana | 31.4 | 0.2 | 934,398 | 16.0 |
| Minnesota | 28.8 | 0.2 | 732,186 | 15.6 |
| New Hampshire | 28.5 | 0.5 | 185,045 | 18.6 |
| California | 26.7 | 0.1 | 3,905,774 | 8.9 |
| Maryland | 26.2 | 0.3 | 670,666 | 10.7 |
| Montana | 25.5 | 0.4 | 134,795 | 12.8 |
| Oregon | 23.1 | 0.3 | 428,474 | 10.7 |
| Kentucky | 21.6 | 0.2 | 436,623 | 9.0 |
| Oklahoma | 21.0 | 0.2 | 372,451 | 6.9 |
| Delaware | 20.7 | 0.6 | 95,958 | 8.0 |
| Washington | 20.5 | 0.2 | 677,849 | 9.6 |
| Virginia | 19.2 | 0.2 | 709,260 | 7.0 |
| Louisiana | 18.2 | 0.2 | 384,616 | 6.1 |
| Tennessee | 17.5 | 0.2 | 551,229 | 5.6 |
| Idaho | 17.2 | 0.3 | 136,923 | 7.9 |
| New Mexico | 16.8 | 0.3 | 160,883 | 4.4 |
| Alabama | 16.0 | 0.2 | 375,077 | 4.9 |
| Colorado | 16.0 | 0.2 | 414,220 | 7.0 |
| Utah | 15.0 | 0.2 | 184,042 | 6.1 |
| Hawaii | 14.3 | 0.4 | 81,196 | 3.2 |
| Mississippi | 14.2 | 0.3 | 190,752 | 4.0 |
| North Carolina | 14.1 | 0.1 | 691,234 | 4.9 |
| Arkansas | 13.2 | 0.2 | 183,885 | 4.1 |
| Texas | 12.4 | 0.1 | 1,500,692 | 3.1 |
| South Carolina | 12.2 | 0.2 | 298,878 | 3.6 |
| Georgia | 11.7 | 0.1 | 531,561 | 3.9 |
| Florida | 10.2 | 0.1 | 1,043,063 | 1.9 |
| Arizona | 7.8 | 0.1 | 248,587 | 1.4 |
| Alaska | 7.6 | 0.3 | 24,834 | 1.7 |
| Nevada | 4.7 | 0.1 | 62,873 | 1.1 |
| United States, national figure | 25.6 | under 0.1 | 36,857,929 | 11.7 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, table B25034, read from data.census.gov on November 5, 2026. Shares and margins worked out by Fidelity Residential.
How the figures were worked out
- Per 100: homes built from 1950 to 1959, from 1940 to 1949 and in 1939 or earlier, divided by all homes, times 100.
- Margins of error: from the Census Bureau’s own margins and its formulas for sums and proportions, so they are approximations.
- Homes: the Census counts housing units, such as houses, apartments and mobile homes, occupied or vacant.
What it can and cannot tell you
- Five-year averages. These estimates pool 2020 to 2024, not today.
- Year built is reported. It comes from the survey answer, and owners of older homes may not know the exact year.
- Old is not the same as run-down. Many older homes have been renovated. The table counts age, not condition.
- Small places are less certain. In Connecticut, Montana, New Hampshire, Delaware and the District of Columbia the margin is about 0.4 to 1.0 in 100.
What the table shows
- The Northeast and the Midwest run high. The District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Connecticut lead, followed by Iowa, Illinois, New Jersey and Ohio.
- The South and the West run low. Nevada, Alaska, Arizona and Florida have the smallest shares.
- Above and below the nation. Sixteen of the 41 are above the national figure of about 25.6 by more than their margins of error, and 24 are below it. Montana is within its margin of it.
- Counted in homes, California has the most built before 1960 (about 3.9 million), then Pennsylvania (about 2.6 million) and Illinois (about 2.1 million), of about 36.9 million in the country.
- Before 1940, the District of Columbia (about 31.5 in 100), Massachusetts (about 30.5) and Pennsylvania (about 25.0) lead again. The national figure is about 11.7.
- New Jersey is seventh at about 37.7 in 100, about 1.43 million homes, level with Iowa, Illinois and Ohio within the margins. About 17.4 in 100 New Jersey homes were built before 1940.
What it means for an investor
An older home often needs work before it sells or rents. A hard money loan is short-term financing for a real estate investor, sized on the property rather than on your tax returns, to buy, renovate or carry an investment property until you sell it or refinance it. Our page on fix and flip vs bridge loans compares the two, and New Jersey investors can read our page on fix and flip loans in New Jersey.
If you plan to live in the home yourself, a renovation loan pays for the home and the repairs or improvements it needs, with a single closing.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the table show 40 states and the District of Columbia?
Fidelity Residential is licensed in 40 states and the District of Columbia, and the table covers those. The national figure covers the whole country.
Why 1960?
The Census Bureau publishes the year a home was built in ranges: by decade back to 1940, and 1939 or earlier. We chose 1960 as a round line for older housing, and the last column shows the oldest group.
Can a fix and flip loan pay for the renovation?
Yes. On a fix and flip loan, the renovation money is released in draws as the work is done. It is a business-purpose loan for real estate investors.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, table B25034, Year Structure Built, states (opens in a new tab), accessed November 5, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, table B25034, Year Structure Built, United States (opens in a new tab), accessed November 5, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Understanding and Using American Community Survey Data: What All Data Users Need to Know (chapter on margins of error for derived estimates) (opens in a new tab), accessed November 5, 2026.
Facts from these sources are stated in our own words. Last reviewed .
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