2024 American Community Survey
When New England homes were built.
Massachusetts has the largest pre-1940 share in this three-state comparison: 925,420 housing units, or 30.5% of its estimated total. Maine is at 22.9%; New Hampshire is at 18.6%.
New Hampshire
18.6%120,399 housing units built in 1939 or earlier.
Open the state file →Massachusetts
30.5%925,420 housing units built in 1939 or earlier.
Open the state file →Maine
22.9%171,959 housing units built in 1939 or earlier.
Open the state file →Complete state distribution
Every Census period, with uncertainty shown.
Each count is an ACS five-year estimate. The plus-or-minus column is the Census Bureau margin of error for that estimate.
New Hampshire
648,472 total housing units ± 247
Swipe horizontally to see estimates, shares and margins of error
| Year structure built | Estimated units | Share of state | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 or later | 8,373 | 1.3% | ± 669 |
| 2010 to 2019 | 42,546 | 6.6% | ± 1,414 |
| 2000 to 2009 | 76,370 | 11.8% | ± 1,832 |
| 1990 to 1999 | 65,230 | 10.1% | ± 1,908 |
| 1980 to 1989 | 122,071 | 18.8% | ± 2,666 |
| 1970 to 1979 | 94,785 | 14.6% | ± 2,069 |
| 1960 to 1969 | 54,052 | 8.3% | ± 1,534 |
| 1950 to 1959 | 42,403 | 6.5% | ± 1,751 |
| 1940 to 1949 | 22,243 | 3.4% | ± 1,264 |
| 1939 or earlier | 120,399 | 18.6% | ± 2,252 |
Massachusetts
3,030,406 total housing units ± 453
Swipe horizontally to see estimates, shares and margins of error
| Year structure built | Estimated units | Share of state | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 or later | 30,285 | 1.0% | ± 1,394 |
| 2010 to 2019 | 189,012 | 6.2% | ± 2,955 |
| 2000 to 2009 | 216,069 | 7.1% | ± 3,646 |
| 1990 to 1999 | 224,161 | 7.4% | ± 3,963 |
| 1980 to 1989 | 327,256 | 10.8% | ± 4,569 |
| 1970 to 1979 | 335,091 | 11.1% | ± 4,768 |
| 1960 to 1969 | 299,752 | 9.9% | ± 4,350 |
| 1950 to 1959 | 327,682 | 10.8% | ± 5,063 |
| 1940 to 1949 | 155,678 | 5.1% | ± 3,184 |
| 1939 or earlier | 925,420 | 30.5% | ± 5,869 |
Maine
751,876 total housing units ± 671
Swipe horizontally to see estimates, shares and margins of error
| Year structure built | Estimated units | Share of state | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 or later | 10,472 | 1.4% | ± 757 |
| 2010 to 2019 | 53,593 | 7.1% | ± 1,647 |
| 2000 to 2009 | 92,983 | 12.4% | ± 2,019 |
| 1990 to 1999 | 80,598 | 10.7% | ± 2,059 |
| 1980 to 1989 | 105,155 | 14.0% | ± 2,222 |
| 1970 to 1979 | 99,203 | 13.2% | ± 2,191 |
| 1960 to 1969 | 54,287 | 7.2% | ± 1,630 |
| 1950 to 1959 | 50,818 | 6.8% | ± 1,882 |
| 1940 to 1949 | 32,808 | 4.4% | ± 1,398 |
| 1939 or earlier | 171,959 | 22.9% | ± 2,739 |
How this table was built
The source is the U.S. Census Bureau 2024 ACS five-year table B25034. We extracted the state rows for New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine from the table-based summary file on September 9, 2026.
State shares are the period estimate divided by the state total estimate, rounded to one decimal place. They are calculated values, while the housing-unit counts and margins of error come directly from the Census table.
Interpretation limit
Older housing stock is context, not a diagnosis.
A state-level year-built estimate can guide the next research question. It cannot tell a homeowner what material sits below a specific house or whether that structure needs repair. Property records, an on-site inspection, and professional input answer different questions.