The oldest cities have the oldest houses – and too little new building.
Some folks love previous houses. Uncovered brick, unique hardwood flooring, and a way of historical past can immediately win consumers over. Nevertheless, behind the enchantment lies a rising concern: America’s housing inventory is growing old quick, and new building isn’t maintaining.
In 2012, the standard U.S. house was 35 years previous; right now, it’s 41. A slowdown in new building introduced on by the Nice Recession has accelerated the growing old course of. Simply 9% of the nation’s houses had been constructed within the 2010s, in comparison with 11% that had been constructed earlier than 1940.
Years of underbuilding has pushed the U.S. housing scarcity into the tens of millions, which is a number one trigger behind right now’s file housing prices. Costs have steadily risen for years, at the same time as elevated mortgage charges and financial uncertainty scare off consumers.
Nevertheless, not each area is growing old on the similar price. In Solar Belt cities like Austin, greater than 20% of houses had been constructed within the 2010s, in comparison with simply 4% in Midwest cities like Milwaukee. These variations have formed native housing markets. Solar Belt cities are seeing costs drop attributable to a listing surplus, whereas Midwest cities are seeing costs rise as consumers struggle over dwindling provide.
So the place is new building wanted most? On this Redfin article, we rank the ten U.S. cities with the oldest houses and discover how growing old housing is impacting the housing market right now.
The cities with the oldest homes within the U.S.
1. Buffalo, NY
Median housing age: 66 years
Share of bought houses : 2.6%
Share of bought houses >30 years previous: 87.3%
Buffalo has the oldest homes within the nation, with the standard house in-built 1957. The truth is, greater than 24% of town’s housing predates 1940, giving many neighborhoods a historic really feel. Brick facades, unique woodwork, and extensive entrance porches are frequent.
However Buffalo’s growing old houses additionally spotlight a much bigger pattern: little or no new building. Simply 1% of houses had been constructed after 2020, and fewer than 3% of not too long ago bought houses are underneath 5 years previous. Excessive constructing prices and long-term disinvestment have made it robust so as to add new housing, and lots of older houses are deserted.
With so few new houses, consumers pay a premium for something constructed not too long ago. Properties constructed inside the previous 5 years promote for greater than twice as a lot as houses over 30 years previous ($527,500 vs. $249,000).
Buffalo houses on the market | Buffalo homes for hire | Buffalo flats for hire
2. New York, NY
Median housing age: 63 years
Share of bought houses : 5%
Share of bought houses >30 years previous: 80%
New York’s appeal lies in its layered architectural historical past: pre-war walk-ups, iconic brownstones, and high-rises which have formed the skyline for generations. Greater than half of town’s housing was constructed earlier than 1960, giving it an unmistakable enchantment that’s laborious to seek out in newer cities.
Nevertheless, New York’s attract brings with it very excessive housing prices. This unaffordability will be traced to a quickly growing old housing provide and lack of recent building over the previous few many years. Simply 0.1% of houses had been constructed after 2020.
Homebuilding hasn’t saved tempo with demand due to excessive building prices and restrictive zoning legal guidelines. Because of this, costs stay excessive and reasonably priced housing stays out of attain for a lot of, at the same time as town works to extend improvement and replace zoning codes.
New York houses on the market | New York homes for hire | New York flats for hire
3. Springfield, MA
Median housing age: 63 years
Share of bought houses : 3.4%
Share of bought houses >30 years previous: 84.3%
Springfield is a Seventeenth-century New England metropolis identified for its colonial buildings and function within the Revolutionary Warfare. Historic houses – particularly Victorian-style homes – are an indicator of the area. Town celebrates its character and even offers grants to assist owners restore unique architectural particulars.
As a result of Springfield is greater than 300 years previous, it’s not stunning that it has among the oldest homes within the nation. 50% of town’s houses had been constructed previous to 1960, and 84% of the bought housing inventory is greater than 30 years previous.
Springfield was one of many hottest housing markets within the nation in 2024, however sadly, there aren’t sufficient houses to go round. This scarcity has pushed home costs up by 39% since 2020, as consumers struggle over restricted provide.
Springfield houses on the market | Springfield homes for hire | Springfield flats for hire
4. Pittsburgh, PA
Median housing age: 62 years
Share of bought houses : 4.5%
Share of bought houses >30 years previous: 81.2%
An industrial hub turned fashionable mecca, Pittsburgh is among the greatest locations to reside in Pennsylvania – and for good cause. A revitalized downtown, very reasonably priced housing, and renewed funding into its future has turned “Steel City” into an amazing place to name house.
Nevertheless, housing right here is growing old quick. Over 80% of not too long ago bought houses are greater than 30 years previous, and most had been constructed earlier than 1960. Many individuals love their historic properties, however there aren’t sufficient to go round. Demand is now outpacing provide, pushing costs up 27% because the pandemic and creating one of many hottest markets within the nation.
To deal with the scarcity, Pittsburgh plans to transform vacant downtown workplaces into reasonably priced housing. With Pennsylvania needing 690,000 new houses by 2040 and consumers more and more concentrating on the Midwest and Northeast, the state must ramp up its constructing efforts.
Pittsburgh houses on the market | Pittsburgh homes for hire | Pittsburgh flats for hire
5. Scranton, PA
Median housing age: 62 years
Share of bought houses : 4.1%
Share of bought houses >30 years previous: 79.2%
Scranton is a metropolis within the midst of a quiet rebirth. Some newcomers are drawn to its walkable neighborhoods and traditional Victorian structure, which provides components of town a Colonial-era appeal. Others see it as an reasonably priced place to begin a enterprise or construct a brand new life.
However whereas Scranton has a rising enchantment, the housing inventory tells a distinct story. The everyday home was in-built 1961, almost a 3rd of all houses had been constructed previous to 1940, and fewer than 1% have been constructed since 2020.
Years of underinvestment and inhabitants decline have left the economic metropolis with an growing old, usually deteriorating housing inventory that’s more and more unaffordable to keep up or change. With extra folks now seeking to transfer in, Scranton home costs proceed to climb. Newer homes come at an almost $200,000 premium, too.
Scranton houses on the market | Scranton homes for hire | Scranton flats for hire
6. New Haven, CT
Median housing age: 61 years
Share of bought houses : 3.7%
Share of bought houses >30 years previous: 84.9%
New Haven’s character is simple to identify, with its Colonial-era structure and charming neighborhoods crammed with older houses. The area’s historical past even consists of the Reverend Henry Whitfield Home (1639) in close by Guilford, one of many oldest buildings within the nation.
That historical past exhibits up within the knowledge, too. Roughly 85% of not too long ago bought houses in New Haven had been constructed greater than 30 years in the past, with the bulk courting again to 1970. Simply 0.5% of the realm’s housing inventory has been constructed since 2020.
This lack of recent building has helped drive up costs and contributed to a better value of residing. Over half of locals are value burdened, and almost 300 residents lose housing yearly. Town has responded by investing tens of millions into enhancing its reasonably priced housing program.
Connecticut additionally isn’t seeing the reduction that different locations are, with fewer owners itemizing their properties. In April 2025, New Haven and close by Harmony had the fewest new listings amongst main U.S. cities, making it tougher for consumers to seek out out there houses.
New Haven houses on the market | New Haven homes for hire | New Haven flats for hire
7. Boston, MA
Median housing age: 60 years
Share of bought houses : 10.4%
Share of bought houses >30 years previous: 72.4%
Boston is a New England icon identified for its cobblestone streets and world-class universities. Historic buildings dot its slender alleys and countryside, just like the 300+ yr previous Paul Revere Home and 18th-century Lengthy Wharf.
Individuals love Boston and its historic houses, however sadly, they’re too dear for a lot of. The everyday home prices $750,000, whereas one examine positioned town because the fifth-most costly place to reside on the planet. The first driver behind excessive costs? Too little, too previous housing provide. The everyday Boston home was in-built 1963, whereas 1 / 4 had been constructed pre-1940.
To fulfill present and future demand, Boston wants a further 128,000 housing models by 2030. Nevertheless, building has slowed because the pandemic, partially attributable to rising building prices.
Boston houses on the market | Boston homes for hire | Boston flats for hire
8. Cleveland, OH
Median housing age: 59 years
Share of bought houses : 4%
Share of bought houses >30 years previous: 80.5%
Cleveland is among the Rust Belt’s most distinguished comeback tales. From the redevelopment of the Flats to new waterfront plans, town is steadily remodeling into a contemporary hub with out shedding sight of its industrial roots.
Nevertheless, housing building hasn’t saved the identical tempo. 1 / 4 of Cleveland’s houses had been constructed earlier than 1950, and simply 1% of town’s housing inventory has been constructed since 2020 – principally within the type of new multifamily leases. Because of this, housing is getting dearer.
To handle the scarcity, town is getting artistic. One proposal to spur improvement consists of investing in modular housing to fill town’s 18,000 vacant heaps with new houses.
Cleveland houses on the market | Cleveland homes for hire | Cleveland flats for hire
9. Bridgeport, CT
Median housing age: 58 years
Share of bought houses : 3.8%
Share of bought houses >30 years previous: 81.3%
Twenty minutes southwest of New Haven, Bridgeport is a coastal metropolis well-known for its sweeping Lengthy Island views and manufacturing previous. After many years of decline, it’s been regularly reinventing itself, drawing new residents with its affordability and historic appeal.
Bridgeport can also be one of many oldest cities within the U.S. First settled in 1639, it’s dotted with lovable historic houses – just like the John Wheeler Home, in-built 1680. The everyday house in Bridgeport was in-built 1965, with 1 / 4 constructed previous to 1950.
However housing stays tight. Costs have climbed 39% since 2020, and new building has slowed, making it tougher for consumers to seek out out there houses. Connecticut really has the bottom share of obtainable housing (together with leases) within the nation: Simply 7% of houses are vacant, nicely under the nationwide price of 11%.
Bridgeport houses on the market | Bridgeport homes for hire | Bridgeport flats for hire
10. Los Angeles, CA
Median housing age: 57 years
Share of bought houses : 4.9%
Share of bought houses >30 years previous: 80.1%
Los Angeles is sprawling, costly, and architecturally influential, house to iconic types just like the Eichler. Whereas it’s one of many older West Coast cities, it was nonetheless based over 100 years after many cities on this record. Locations like Boston had been largely constructed out by the nineteenth century, whereas L.A.’s main development occurred within the early twentieth century.
It could be stunning to study that such a contemporary metropolis has among the oldest housing within the nation – nevertheless it’s true. The everyday home was in-built 1966, and greater than half of town’s houses had been constructed between 1950-1980. Neighborhoods are filled with mid-century California bungalows and Mission Revivals.
New building has slowed considerably lately, largely attributable to zoning legal guidelines and skyrocketing prices. 75% of L.A.’s residential land is zoned for single-family housing. Town is engaged on a serious rezoning plan, however research counsel it gained’t spur sufficient improvement to satisfy housing wants.
Los Angeles houses on the market | Los Angeles homes for hire | Los Angeles flats for hire
The ten cities with the most recent homes within the U.S.
Cities within the Solar Belt and Mountain West have constructed probably the most new housing since 2010 to maintain up with an inflow of recent homebuyers. This has introduced their median housing age down.
Austin, TX: 20 years
Provo, UT: 20 years
Raleigh, NC: 22 years
Cape Coral, FL: 23 years
Las Vegas, NV: 23 years
McAllen, TX: 23 years
Boise, ID: 24 years
Charleston, SC: 24 years
Houston, TX: 25 years
Charlotte, NC: 25 years
How has underbuilding affected the housing market?
Underbuilding has helped create a housing market that’s each gradual and costly. With too few houses to satisfy demand, consumers who haven’t been priced out are pressured to compete over restricted stock, driving costs even increased. That is very true within the nation’s oldest cities and industrial hubs.
One other results of underbuilding is a shrinking value hole between new and current houses. This There are just a few causes for this:
Residence builders are constructing smaller and lower-cost houses, like townhouses, pushing down the median value of all newly constructed houses.
A lot of the brand new building is going on in traditionally reasonably priced areas just like the Solar Belt, the place house costs are beginning to fall as provide catches up with demand.
Homebuyers are flocking to metros with the oldest houses, like Buffalo, serving to push costs up.
In some instances, this disparity will be so robust that new houses value lower than previous ones. Properties constructed greater than 30 years in the past in Austin, Oxnard, San Jose, and San Francisco value greater than a house constructed prior to now 5 years.
Methodology
Based mostly on an unique Redfin report, which analyzed the median age of housing bought nationally and for the 100 largest U.S. metropolitan areas (“cities”). For this report, we used U.S. Census Bureau knowledge to calculate the true median age of all housing – not simply houses that bought – via 2023.
All different housing knowledge – i.e. share of houses 30 years previous, and median value of older and newer houses – got here from the MLS and measured bought houses from 2020-2024.
All datasets seek advice from all house sorts mixed (single household, condos, and townhouses). Housing market knowledge got here from Redfin.
