The Most Popular House Styles Through the Decades

The United States is a vastly different place than it was 100 years ago. While there are plenty to compare and contrast, many stylistic changes can be seen in the evolution of the country’s residential architecture. 

Times of peace were largely represented through the use of craftsman skills in home building. When citizens needed to tighten their belts in times of war, affordable out-the-box housing was the go-to. Other times, booming economies produced architectural extravagance. 

Throughout the years, tastes shifted from the previous decade’s passé designs to ones that best reflected the times. Read more to learn homes in America have adapted to fit the preferences of their inhabitants.

America’s Centennial Exposition in 1876 served as the world’s stage to a host of new inventions, like Heinz Ketchup and Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone. The exposition also gave Americans their first taste of Queen Anne Victorian residential architecture, a style that rejected the rigidness of Georgian and Federal homes of the previous century. 

Queen Anne Victorians, popularized in the U.S. by architect Henry Hobson Richardson, are known for their asymmetrical shape, ornate moldings, and L-shaped wraparound porches. Their most iconic feature? Conical towers jutting from the corners of the facade.

Pros of Victorian homes? If you are a huge fan of rooms, you’ll get them in score — open-floor plans are not a feature of this home. They’re also usually two stories, are well-made, and have high ceilings and big windows. Some cons of Victorian homes? Nothing is standard or symmetrical, the nooks (though charming) can make it difficult to decorate, and the rooms themselves may be smaller than what you’re used to.

In a departure from the ornamental styles of the late 1800s and early 1900s, Colonial Revival homes took a simpler, more classic approach to home building (though the style wasn’t always historically accurate to Colonial times, according to Historic New England). 

Characteristics of these houses generally include a side-gabled roof and a sturdy brick or wood facade. The style did up the drama with contrasting dark window shutters against stark white multipaned windows and short-reaching porticos and pediments. 

Some pros of colonial homes? They’re packed with curb appeal, and because they tend to have geometric design, they can be more renovation friendly than, say, your average Queen Anne Victorian. Some cons of colonial homes? Their interiors and features may need updating, and they tend to be less accessible to folks with mobility differences or those who are aging in place. Also, some Colonial-style homes have historical designations — a fact that might limit just what you can do to your own home.

Although a half dozen types of bungalow homes have been built, a few key features draw a line through the historically Indian construction. While occupying India, British colonizers wanted to develop easily built houses to live in: the original bungalow’s low-to-the-ground design aided in airflow and helped its inhabitants to beat the heat. 

Later, the style grew in popularity in the U.K. and eventually made its way across the Atlantic in the early 1900s, thanks to the Arts and Crafts movement. Generally, bungalows include low-pitched gables, wide porches, and are one story high (or are made to look that way). 

Some pros of bungalows? If location is the name of the real estate game for you, you’ll be thrilled that most bungalows are built in cities, towns, and more urban areas. The homes are ultra-charming and filled with character, too. However, it may be a pro or a con to know that these homes are often on historical registers (meaning that you may not be able to renovate your home how you want), that the second floor is usually not quite as generously proportioned as you might expect, and that the wood build of these homes can either be great (solid wood construction!) or a problem (wood rot)!

Popularized in the Northeastern United States, Cape Cod-style homes feature a large chimney as the centerpiece, as well as a box-shaped form, a central front door, and a steep roof that encourages snow to easily slide off it. 

The centuries-old Yankee style is admired for its simplicity; they made up the bulk of Levittowns in the U.S. The Cape style is so iconic to the American zeitgeist that it was immortalized in the family favorite board game Monopoly. 

Some pros of Cape Cod-style homes? They have instant curb appeal — they’re iconic, after all! If you live in a cold weather area, the homes are quite warm due to their winter-proof roofs. But there are cons — the homes are small, the second floor is usually a half-floor space, and they can be hard to expand.

While some housing aficionados may consider it a non-style, the minimal traditional style of architecture was ubiquitous during the middle of the 20th century. 

The simple design was a departure from the more fanciful architecture of previous decades. The houses typically feature a single story, at least one gable, and minimal square footage — perfect for young families or those returning home from World War II.

Per Forbes, some pros and cons of the minimal traditional style home include affordability, adaptability, and space efficiency. However, if charm is what you’re after, these homes are very simple and often similar to one another. And given the age of the build, the home may need plenty of updating to be up to code.

The Ranch-style home is a common one across America. It is known for its low, sprawling single-story layout. In addition to more linear designs, ranch homes were also L- or U-shaped. They exhibit large front windows, open floor plans, and often an attached garage.

Some pros of Ranch-style homes? Per Apartment Therapy writer Jennifer Prince, Ranch-style homes are homes for life. Their single-level layout makes them great for aging in place, so they’re easier to walk around in at any age and they’re also easier to maintain and clean. However, some experts suggest that Ranch homes have less privacy (since they’re one-story homes) and they have smaller yards.

This raised ranch variation stands apart with two floors that are separated by short flights of stairs. This approach to housing works well on lots that feature hilly landscapes, or ones with varying heights. 

The middle floor of a split-level typically includes common living areas, whereas the bedrooms and rec room may only be a few steps up or down. 

Split-level homes have major pros: if you want privacy between your upstairs and your downstairs, you’ll get it. They also usually come with larger yards and are more affordable than other home types. However, if you want to age in place or have mobility differences, the split-level — with its myriad stairs — might not be the right choice for you.

Rambler style homes, which are a type of Ranch style home, are usually one story in an L or U shape that are known for their open floor plans. 

“The rambler style house was very popular in the 1970s,” explains Danny Johnson, owner at Danny Buys Houses. “This style house was typically single story and rectangular. What is drawing many to this style of house right now is the lower cost to maintain and the open-floor plans with lots of natural light.” 

Rambler homes have pros that are quite similar to ranch style homes — they’re easy to upgrade, they have open layouts if that’s what you like, and they often have vaulted ceilings. However, they often have small outdoor space, and less privacy given their one-story layout, per Homedit.

Minimal design and sharp clean lines are what defines this popular house style of the ’80s. While many of the houses on this list featured more traditional roofs, like gabled, flat, or mansard, contemporary house designs play with asymmetry. Here you will find entire sections jutting out in surprising areas and angles. Cubism and cutouts make this architecture fun and modern. 

Per Forbes, the home is flexible to update, has tons of natural light, and is more minimalist than other home types, if that’s what you want in a space. However, these homes might have higher maintenance costs and, because of all that natural light, a little less privacy.

The ’90s were an economic boom time. The surplus of wealth that some possessed (and others wanted to appear to possess) could be seen in the McMansion style of housing that emerged in the era and continued into the 2000s. 

The pro of these homes is that they’re large. However, there are many cons — this cookie-cutter style is characterized by the protruding secondary masses, a lack of symmetry, poor window placement and proportions, and most unfortunately, often shoddy materials. Truly, what glitters isn’t always golden.

Neo Eclectic homes are called so because they draw from many other architectural styles, incorporating elements of Mediterranean, Tudor, Colonial, and more into their designs. 

Pros of the Neo Eclectic home? It excels at window proportions compared with its predecessor, the McMansion, but still, the secondary masses and varied roofs of the former make the pair close relatives. What sets them apart is their construction: Neo Eclectic homes tend to be built with a little more attention to detail than McMansions — and have more quality building materials. The cons are that if you don’t like the aesthetics of McMansion homes, you definitely won’t like the aesthetics of the Neo Eclectic home, either. They’re quite similar.

Chip and Joanna Gaines made an entire empire out of saying the word “shiplap” on TV, which is a major element found in farmhouse styles. “The modern farmhouse style became one of the most popular of the 2010s,” Johnson explains. “The combination of traditional country aesthetics and contemporary design brought this style to forefront. So many people saw this style on popular television shows where the neutral colors, use of wood and stone, and a blend of modern and rustic furniture made it highly sought after.”

Critics of the modern farmhouse aesthetic mostly point to its extreme popularity — they’re widely popular homes, so if you’re worried that an all-white house with black window trim will look dated, skip this home. If you don’t like open layouts, this home is even less for you. But one pro (per Forbes) are that the homes do have outdoor-indoor living at front of mind.

While it’s a little early to say what will define the 2020s — there are still many years to go in the decade — experts are starting to coalesce around a vision of what the dominant housing style of the 2020s may be. Jigna Hammers, a client leader and project manager at SmithGroup, an award-winning, multinational integrated design firm, predicts “that elegant accessibility will become increasingly popular in the 2020s. This style combines contemporary aesthetics with design elements that prioritize accessibility, making it suitable for people of all ages, including seniors.” 

Common themes of the housing style, which reflects a “broader societal shift towards inclusivity and sustainability” and the aging population, includes open “floor plans, wide doorways, and single-story layouts that reduce barriers for those with mobility challenges,” and also “incorporates natural light, minimalistic design, and adaptable spaces that evolve with the needs of residents over time.” Hammers says these spaces also have high-quality finishes and “contribute to a seamless blend of form and function.” 

But while these homes are built for the future, that level of thoughtfulness comes with cons. “It can sometimes come at a higher upfront cost,” Hammers says, “especially if specialized features are incorporated.” Hammers also notes that “the sleek, minimalist aesthetic may not appeal to everyone’s taste, making it feel less ‘homey’ to some.”