Snapshot: % housing built in 1939 or before

By Matt Carroll , Boston Globe | Jan. 6, 2011

When it comes to older housing, look in the urban areas. Somerville, Chelsea, Everett and Lynn were among the communities with the highest percent of housing built in 1939 or before, according to the Census Bureaus American Community Survey, for the years 2005-2009. Nearly three-quarters of Somervilles housing is that old. Mashpee had the lowest amount, at about 2 percent.

The data in Snapshot is interactive. Users can click on the word "view data" in the lower right corner of the map, and go to Man-eyes.com to create their own charts and maps. Questions, comments, or suggestions: E-mail Matt Carroll at: mcarroll@globe.com

Community Percent built in 1939 or after Rank Margin of error Abington 29.1 141 3.5 Acton 9.9 328 1.9 Acushnet 24.3 184 5.3 Adams 56.1 17 4.2 Agawam 15.8 268 2.2 Alford 30.5 129 6.6 Amesbury 39.2 78 3.1 Amherst 21.8 204 2.6 Andover 26.2 174 2.1 Aquinnah 15.1 283 5.4 Arlington 53.5 25 1.9 Ashburnham 26.7 167 6.1 Ashby 26 176 5.7 Ashfield 39.3 77 5.7 Ashland 7.4 345 2.2 Athol 47.7 41 4.1 Attleboro 27.1 163 2.4 Auburn 22.3 200 3.1 Avon 33.9 106 6.7 Ayer 28 153 6.5 Barnstable 13.6 298 1.5 Barre 32.5 117 6.3 Becket 20 218 5 Bedford 11.4 315 2.8 Belchertown 9.2 336 2.9 Bellingham 9.6 332 2.3 Belmont 64.6 3 2.5 Berkley 10.1 327 3.1 Berlin 26.8 164 6.3 Bernardston 27.8 155 6 Beverly 47.2 42 2.2 Billerica 15.6 275 1.8 Blackstone 31.8 122 6.7 Blandford 42.4 62 6.8 Bolton 14.1 294 5.3 Boston 58.3 12 0.7 Bourne 14.6 287 2.7 Boxborough 9.1 338 3.1 Boxford 7.6 343 3.5 Boylston 17.6 252 6.5 Braintree 28.4 146 2.3 Brewster 7.7 342 2.4 Bridgewater 21.3 206 3.3 Brimfield 14.6 287 6.7 Brockton 42.2 63 1.6 Brookfield 23.8 187 7.2 Brookline 56.1 17 1.7 Buckland 52.5 29 6.7 Burlington 5.6 349 1.7 Cambridge 59.9 9 1.4 Canton 14.8 286 2.5 Carlisle 15 284 6.2 Carver 6.1 348 2.3 Charlemont 43 58 7 Charlton 11.4 315 3.2 Chatham 16.7 258 2.9 Chelmsford 13.9 295 1.9 Chelsea 66.5 2 2.7 Cheshire 30.2 130 6.3 Chester 49.4 38 6.8 Chesterfield 31.6 125 8.2 Chicopee 32.1 119 1.7 Chilmark 16.2 263 3.3 Clarksburg 39.9 74 5.1 Clinton 45.2 49 4 Cohasset 34.3 104 6.1 Colrain 34.9 98 5.6 Concord 27.6 160 3.2 Conway 32.8 114 5.8 Cummington 41.9 66 6.4 Dalton 35.6 94 5.9 Danvers 25.8 177 2.6 Dartmouth 19.4 226 2.3 Dedham 38.9 82 2.7 Deerfield 36.1 91 6 Dennis 11.4 315 1.9 Dighton 33 110 8.4 Douglas 14.5 290 4.7 Dover 18.4 237 5.9 Dracut 16.1 265 1.9 Dudley 26.6 168 4.6 Dunstable 9.3 335 3.2 Duxbury 17.8 249 2.9 East Bridgewater 27.5 161 4.4 East Brookfield 26.8 164 8.5 Eastham 7.5 344 2.9 Easthampton 33.4 108 3.3 East Longmeadow 12.9 306 2.4 Easton 15.3 279 1.9 Edgartown 14.3 291 4.3 Egremont 26.5 171 5.1 Erving 34.9 98 5.6 Essex 43.5 55 7.8 Everett 64.2 4 3 Fairhaven 40.7 69 3.3 Fall River 58.1 13 1.4 Falmouth 11.2 319 1.5 Fitchburg 52.1 31 2.5 Florida 22.8 196 11 Foxborough 19.5 224 3.7 Framingham 20.7 213 1.7 Franklin 15 284 2 Freetown 10.8 323 3 Gardner 46.9 43 3.1 Georgetown 23.8 187 4.7 Gill 29.9 135 7.1 Gloucester 52.8 27 2.5 Goshen 19 230 7.5 Gosnold 44.1 54 10.1 Grafton 21.7 205 3 Granby 11.2 319 4.1 Granville 30 134 6.1 Great Barrington 53 26 6 Greenfield 52.7 28 3.3 Groton 16.5 260 4.7 Groveland 24.5 182 6.6 Hadley 28.1 150 5.4 Halifax 13.3 300 4.6 Hamilton 26.2 174 6.4 Hampden 15.8 268 4.4 Hancock 15.4 278 5.1 Hanover 16.5 260 3.4 Hanson 21.3 206 4.4 Hardwick 55.6 19 8.7 Harvard 15.8 268 4.3 Harwich 15.7 273 2.4 Hatfield 37.5 88 6.8 Haverhill 42.6 59 1.9 Hawley 45.7 47 10.4 Heath 19.8 222 6 Hingham 28.1 150 2.5 Hinsdale 27.7 159 5.6 Holbrook 26.8 164 5.7 Holden 13.4 299 2.1 Holland 8.9 339 4.2 Holliston 16.7 258 3.2 Holyoke 43.4 56 2.5 Hopedale 39.1 81 7 Hopkinton 12 314 2.3 Hubbardston 17 254 6.4 Hudson 21.3 206 2.7 Hull 42.5 60 5.1 Huntington 30.2 130 6.9 Ipswich 32.9 111 3.3 Kingston 24 186 4.8 Lakeville 12.2 312 3.7 Lancaster 22.6 198 5.8 Lanesborough 34.6 101 10.6 Lawrence 41.9 66 2.4 Lee 31.3 126 6 Leicester 28.9 142 4 Lenox 28.2 148 6.4 Leominster 29.7 136 2.3 Leverett 24.5 182 5.4 Lexington 22.1 201 2 Leyden 24.1 185 8.7 Lincoln 9.7 330 3.6 Littleton 16 267 4.5 Longmeadow 28.6 145 2.9 Lowell 51.4 32 1.8 Ludlow 19.9 220 2.7 Lunenburg 19.5 224 4.9 Lynn 62.1 5 1.9 Lynnfield 10.3 326 3.3 Malden 52.5 29 2.3 Manchester-by-the-Sea 40.7 69 5.7 Mansfield 18.1 243 2.8 Marblehead 44.8 52 3.4 Marion 26.6 168 6.1 Marlborough 18 247 2 Marshfield 16.8 257 2.6 Mashpee 2.1 351 1.1 Mattapoisett 20.1 217 5.1 Maynard 35 97 4.4 Medfield 14.6 287 3.6 Medford 61.6 6 1.8 Medway 18.3 239 3.4 Melrose 55.6 19 2.6 Mendon 12.7 309 4.3 Merrimac 26.6 168 5.7 Methuen 29.7 136 2 Middleborough 28 153 3.3 Middlefield 45.1 51 12.9 Middleton 18.2 240 5.1 Milford 32.7 115 2.5 Millbury 28.3 147 4 Millis 16.9 255 4.2 Millville 38.7 84 7.2 Milton 50.2 34 3.3 Monroe 45.3 48 21.7 Monson 34.6 101 5.4 Montague 40 73 4.1 Monterey 26.5 171 6 Montgomery 17.7 250 6.2 Mount Washington 49.7 37 12.6 Nahant 54.7 23 7 Nantucket 19.2 228 2.6 Natick 24.6 181 1.9 Needham 27.3 162 2.7 New Ashford 29.2 139 11.1 New Bedford 59.6 11 1.3 New Braintree 22.7 197 6.8 Newbury 18.4 237 4.5 Newburyport 50 36 3 New Marlborough 38.9 82 6.2 New Salem 30.1 133 7.6 Newton 55.5 21 1.6 Norfolk 12.3 311 3.5 North Adams 61.6 6 3.5 Northampton 45.8 46 2.4 North Andover 16.3 262 1.9 North Attleborough 23 195 3 Northborough 11.1 321 2.5 Northbridge 32.4 118 3.8 North Brookfield 37.9 87 6.4 Northfield 46.3 45 7.4 North Reading 9.9 328 2.1 Norton 9.7 330 2.6 Norwell 12.1 313 2.9 Norwood 31.9 120 2.5 Oak Bluffs 32.7 115 5.2 Oakham 17.7 250 5.7 Orange 42.2 63 5.4 Orleans 15.8 268 3.4 Otis 20.3 216 3.9 Oxford 25.6 178 3.9 Palmer 39.9 74 4.4 Paxton 15.3 279 4.7 Peabody 23.1 194 1.7 Pelham 23.8 187 6.5 Pembroke 10.9 322 2.3 Pepperell 16.9 255 3 Peru 13.1 301 6 Petersham 59.7 10 9.7 Phillipston 18.2 240 4.8 Pittsfield 42.2 63 2.6 Plainfield 27.8 155 7.4 Plainville 13.1 301 5 Plymouth 18.1 243 1.5 Plympton 13 304 4.7 Princeton 18 247 5.5 Provincetown 56.3 16 6.1 Quincy 43.2 57 1.5 Randolph 13.7 297 2.2 Raynham 6.9 346 2.5 Reading 31.8 122 2.5 Rehoboth 18.6 234 4.4 Revere 37.3 89 2.6 Richmond 29.2 139 5.1 Rochester 9.5 334 3.1 Rockland 33.9 106 4 Rockport 48.4 40 6.1 Rowe 40.5 71 8.7 Rowley 19 230 5.6 Royalston 33.4 108 6.4 Russell 21.3 206 6.5 Rutland 18.1 243 5.1 Salem 55.5 21 2.3 Salisbury 18.5 235 3.6 Sandisfield 32.9 111 10 Sandwich 6.5 347 1.3 Saugus 34.7 100 2.6 Savoy 24.8 180 7.7 Scituate 28.7 144 3.3 Seekonk 16.2 263 3.9 Sharon 14.3 291 2.5 Sheffield 35.5 95 7.1 Shelburne 61.6 6 6.2 Sherborn 21.3 206 5.6 Shirley 20.5 214 6.8 Shrewsbury 12.4 310 2.1 Shutesbury 20 218 6.3 Somerset 18.9 232 2.9 Somerville 74 1 1.7 Southampton 10.7 325 4.3 Southborough 12.8 308 3.2 Southbridge 49.2 39 2.8 South Hadley 28.1 150 3.3 Southwick 9.2 336 3.3 Spencer 34 105 4.8 Springfield 46.9 43 1.1 Sterling 13.1 301 4 Stockbridge 45.2 49 8 Stoneham 28.2 148 2.9 Stoughton 19.9 220 2.5 Stow 19.2 228 5.4 Sturbridge 13.9 295 4.6 Sudbury 9.6 332 2 Sunderland 19.8 222 5.8 Sutton 23.8 187 5.1 Swampscott 50.7 33 4.2 Swansea 21.9 203 3.5 Taunton 35.9 93 2 Templeton 23.3 193 6.3 Tewksbury 8.8 340 1.5 Tisbury 28.9 142 6 Tolland 13 304 5.2 Topsfield 14.3 291 3.7 Townsend 22 202 4.9 Truro 17.4 253 4 Tyngsborough 8.7 341 3 Tyringham 31.7 124 7.8 Upton 23.7 191 5.9 Uxbridge 29.5 138 4.5 Wakefield 39.6 76 3.3 Wales 21.1 212 5.1 Walpole 18.5 235 2.9 Waltham 39.2 78 2.1 Ware 36.7 90 4.3 Wareham 19.4 226 3.1 Warren 54.3 24 7.4 Warwick 31.9 120 8.5 Washington 15.2 282 7.2 Watertown 56.5 15 2.8 Wayland 18.2 240 3.5 Webster 39.2 78 3.6 Wellesley 40.4 72 3.3 Wellfleet 15.5 277 4.6 Wendell 20.4 215 6.4 Wenham 21.2 211 5.9 Westborough 11.4 315 2.2 West Boylston 30.6 128 6 West Bridgewater 23.5 192 5.2 West Brookfield 34.5 103 7.4 Westfield 25.6 178 2 Westford 12.9 306 2.3 Westhampton 15.7 273 5.2 Westminster 18.8 233 5.5 West Newbury 32.9 111 6.9 Weston 22.6 198 3.9 Westport 16.1 265 2.8 West Springfield 30.2 130 2.7 West Stockbridge 38 86 6.1 West Tisbury 15.6 275 4.6 Westwood 18.1 243 3.2 Weymouth 27.8 155 1.8 Whately 35.3 96 7.8 Whitman 38.2 85 3.7 Wilbraham 10.8 323 3.3 Williamsburg 41.8 68 6.4 Williamstown 31 127 4.5 Wilmington 15.3 279 2.8 Winchendon 44.8 52 5.3 Winchester 42.5 60 3 Windsor 26.4 173 8.1 Winthrop 56.7 14 3.7 Woburn 27.8 155 1.9 Worcester 50.2 34 1.2 Worthington 36 92 7 Wrentham 15.8 268 4.5 Yarmouth 5.2 350 1.4

SOURCE: Census Bureau's American Community Survey, 05-09