7 in 10 Yonkers Homes Were Built Before 1970
Most of the city's housing dates to the pre-war and post-war booms. Only about 1 in 8 homes has been built since 1990.
Walk down almost any block in Yonkers and you’re likely looking at history. According to Census Bureau survey data, more than a quarter of the city’s homes were built before 1940, and nearly 7 in 10 went up before 1970.
Most Yonkers Homes Are Over 55 Years Old
Share of housing units by year built
- Built before 197069.1%
- Built 1970–199921.0%
- Built 2000 or later9.9%
Two building booms
The decade-by-decade view shows two big waves: the pre-1940 city of row houses, two-families and walk-up apartments, and the 1950s–60s post-war boom of garden apartments and high-rises. After 1970, construction slowed sharply — the 1990s produced just 3% of today’s homes.
When Yonkers Was Built
Share of today's housing units, by decade built
Why it matters
Older housing stock shapes everyday life: heating and repair costs, lead-paint risk in pre-1978 homes, accessibility, and how much room there is for new construction. The recent wave of downtown and waterfront apartment towers is starting to change the mix — the 2010s produced more new homes than either the 1990s or the 2000s — but it will take decades to shift the overall picture.
Sources & methodology
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