How Old Is the Housing Stock Across DuPage-Area Communities?
A look at the age of owner-occupied homes in 16 selected local communities.
Communities across the DuPage-area region have developed over different periods, and their housing stock reflects those differences.
To better understand these patterns, Roman Roofing reviewed U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) data for 16 selected communities in its DuPage-area service region. The analysis focuses on owner-occupied housing units and the share located in structures built before 1980.
The findings provide a snapshot of the construction-year profile of these communities. They offer local housing context—but do not measure roof age, roof condition, or current demand for roofing services.
Key Findings
The analysis found substantial variation in the estimated share of owner-occupied housing located in structures built before 1980.
Villa Park and Bensenville had the highest estimated shares among the 16 selected communities, while Naperville and Carol Stream had the lowest shares in this comparison.
Note: Percentages are estimates of owner-occupied housing units in structures built before 1980. They do not represent roof age or roof condition.
How Communities Compare
In this analysis, Villa Park and Bensenville had the highest estimated shares of owner-occupied housing in structures built before 1980, at 89.3% and 81.5%, respectively.
Several other communities—including Lombard, Downers Grove, Elmhurst, Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, Addison, and Glendale Heights— also had estimates above 60%.
By comparison, the estimated share was 32.5% in Carol Stream and 25.8% in Naperville.
These differences describe the age profile of the housing stock. They do not establish why the communities differ or indicate the condition of individual properties.
What Does “Built Before 1980” Mean?
For this analysis, “built before 1980” combines five Census construction-year categories:
- 1970–1979
- 1960–1969
- 1950–1959
- 1940–1949
- 1939 or earlier
The percentage was calculated by adding the estimated owner-occupied housing units in these categories and dividing by the estimated total number of owner-occupied housing units.
What This Data Can—and Cannot—Tell Us
Construction-year data helps describe when residential structures were built. However, the age of a home is not the same as the age of its roof.
A structure built decades ago may have had its roof replaced or renovated. A newer structure may also have roof issues that cannot be identified from construction year alone.
The Census data does not provide information about:
- Roof installation or replacement dates
- Roofing materials or roof condition
- Maintenance or repair history
- The number of homes currently needing roofing services
Important: These findings should not be interpreted as evidence that a particular community has widespread roof problems or a specific level of roofing demand.
Why Local Housing Data Is Useful
Local housing data can help residents, businesses, and community organizations better understand the characteristics of the places where they live and work.
For homeowners, the practical takeaway is to treat a home’s construction year as background information—not as a diagnosis of its roof. Questions about roof condition require property-specific information and assessment.
Roman Roofing is sharing this analysis as a locally focused housing resource for readers interested in the communities it serves.
Data and Methodology
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, Detailed Table B25036, Tenure by Year Structure Built. View Census ACS Table B25036
Population analyzed: Estimated owner-occupied housing units in 16 selected communities in Roman Roofing’s DuPage-area service region.
Measure: Estimated owner-occupied units in structures built before 1980, divided by the estimated total number of owner-occupied units.
Geography: The city or village geographies represented in the downloaded data. These figures are not necessarily limited to portions of municipalities within DuPage County.
Limitation: ACS values are estimates. Table B25036 does not measure roof age, roof condition, maintenance history, or current roofing needs.
This article describes local housing construction-year patterns. It is not an assessment of individual homes or a prediction of roofing demand.
