America's real estate market is tough for buyers. Despite a 23% rise in home prices from early 2020 to the end of 2025, high mortgage rates and inflation make saving for a home increasingly difficult. A national housing shortfall of 1.5 to 7.3 million units exacerbates the issue, leading to an aging housing stock.

Researchers at Construction Coverage analyzed the latest U.S. Census Bureau data to identify cities with the oldest homes. Here are the top 15:

15. St. Louis, MO-IL

  • Median Home Age: 50 years
  • Share Built Before 1980: 57.5%

- Figure 1 -
- Figure 1 -

14. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

  • Median Home Age: 52 years
  • Share Built Before 1980: 61.1%

- Figure 2 -
- Figure 2 -

13. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

  • Median Home Age: 55 years
  • Share Built Before 1980: 66.2%

- Figure 3 -
- Figure 3 -

12. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

  • Median Home Age: 56 years
  • Share Built Before 1980: 65.6%

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- Figure 4 -

11. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI

  • Median Home Age: 56 years
  • Share Built Before 1980: 65.6%

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- Figure 5 -

10. Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI

  • Median Home Age: 56 years
  • Share Built Before 1980: 66.1%

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- Figure 6 -

9. Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT

  • Median Home Age: 56 years
  • Share Built Before 1980: 67.8%

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- Figure 7 -

8. Rochester, NY

  • Median Home Age: 57 years
  • Share Built Before 1980: 67.0%

- Figure 8 -
- Figure 8 -

7. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

  • Median Home Age: 58 years
  • Share Built Before 1980: 65.3%

- Figure 9 -
- Figure 9 -

6. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

  • Median Home Age: 59 years
  • Share Built Before 1980: 65.0%

- Figure 10 -
- Figure 10 -

5. Providence-Warwick, RI-MA

  • Median Home Age: 60 years
  • Share Built Before 1980: 68.5%

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- Figure 11 -

4. Cleveland, OH

  • Median Home Age: 61 years
  • Share Built Before 1980: 70.4%

- Figure 12 -
- Figure 12 -

3. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ

  • Median Home Age: 63 years
  • Share Built Before 1980: 71.7%

- Figure 13 -
- Figure 13 -

2. Pittsburgh, PA

  • Median Home Age: 64 years
  • Share Built Before 1980: 72.3%

- Figure 14 -
- Figure 14 -

1. Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY

  • Median Home Age: 66 years
  • Share Built Before 1980: 76.6%

- Figure 15 -
- Figure 15 -