Jackson County Chimney Data Study: Old Houses, Gas Heat
What Census Bureau housing data says about the age of homes in Jackson County, Missouri, how they are heated, and what that means for the chimneys in them.
About this page
This is a data study, not an account of a customer job. Every figure comes from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey (1-year estimates) for Jackson County, Missouri. The figures are survey estimates with margins of error. The interpretation is our own opinion, based on 32 years of working on chimneys here.
How old is the housing?
Housing in Jackson County is old by national standards: the median home was built in 1970, and 49.3% of all housing units were built before 1970.
| Year built | Housing units | Share of total |
|---|---|---|
| 1939 or earlier | 60,739 | 17.8% |
| 1940 to 1949 | 18,841 | 5.5% |
| 1950 to 1959 | 43,386 | 12.7% |
| 1960 to 1969 | 45,416 | 13.3% |
| 1970 to 1979 | 49,767 | 14.6% |
| 1980 to 1989 | 34,348 | 10.1% |
| 1990 to 1999 | 29,713 | 8.7% |
| 2000 to 2009 | 30,555 | 9.0% |
| 2010 to 2019 | 19,579 | 5.7% |
| 2020 or later | 8,872 | 2.6% |
| Total | 341,216 | 100% |
Adding the rows: 168,382 units, or 49.3%, were built before 1970, and 218,149 units, or 63.9%, were built before 1980. The largest single group is the oldest one: 60,739 homes that date from 1939 or earlier.
How are homes heated?
About 70% of occupied homes in Jackson County heat mainly with utility gas, about 28% with electricity, and 0.4% with wood.
| Main heating fuel | Occupied homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Utility gas | 217,423 | 69.5% |
| Electricity | 86,985 | 27.8% |
| Bottled or tank gas (propane) | 4,301 | 1.4% |
| Wood | 1,190 | 0.4% |
| Other, solar, coal or none | 2,810 | 0.9% |
| Total occupied homes | 312,709 | 100% |
The survey asks for the fuel used most for heating. It does not count fireplaces, so a gas-heated home with a wood-burning fireplace appears here only as gas.
What the numbers mean for chimneys (our reading)
In our reading, the figures point to three things: many chimneys here are more than 55 years old, most of them vent gas appliances, and most fireplaces are used only occasionally.
1. Many chimneys here are more than 55 years old
A home built before 1970 that still has its original chimney has a chimney at least 55 years old. In our experience, masonry chimneys of that age commonly have clay tile liners with open joints or cracks, crowns that have been patched more than once, and mortar that needs repointing. None of that is visible from the living room, which is the case for a yearly inspection.
2. Gas heat still uses the chimney
With about 70% of homes on utility gas, the most common thing a chimney does in Jackson County is vent a furnace or water heater, not a fireplace. Many older homes vent gas appliances into the original masonry flue. When an old furnace is replaced with a more efficient one, the flue is often too large and too cold for the new exhaust, and moisture condenses and attacks the liner and mortar. A flue serving a gas appliance needs inspecting as much as one serving a fireplace. Our liner comparison covers the fix.
3. Fireplaces here are used occasionally, which has its own risk
Only about 1,190 households report wood as their main heat. Most fireplaces are lit a handful of times a year. Occasional use builds creosote slowly, but it also means years can pass between anyone looking up the flue, and nests, fallen tiles and water damage go unnoticed.
Limits of this study
This study has three limits: the Census does not count chimneys, the figures are estimates, and the data covers only one of the four counties we work in.
- The Census does not count chimneys or fireplaces, so the link between housing age and chimney condition is our inference.
- These are one-year survey estimates. Small categories, such as wood heat, have wide margins of error.
- The data covers Jackson County only. Some of the towns we serve are in Clay, Cass and Platte counties.
Source
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, tables B25001 (Housing Units), B25034 (Year Structure Built), B25035 (Median Year Structure Built) and B25040 (House Heating Fuel), Jackson County, Missouri. Retrieved through Census Reporter, October 2026.
Common questions
How old are most homes in Jackson County, Missouri?
The median home in Jackson County was built in 1970, according to the Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey. About 49% of housing units were built before 1970 and about 18% date from 1939 or earlier. Older housing generally means older masonry chimneys.
What do most homes in Jackson County, Missouri use for heat?
About 70% of occupied homes heat mainly with utility gas and about 28% with electricity, per the 2024 American Community Survey. Fewer than half a percent use wood as their main heating fuel. Gas appliances commonly vent through a chimney, so those flues need a yearly inspection.
Does a gas furnace need a chimney liner?
A gas furnace or water heater that vents into a masonry chimney needs a flue of the right size and in sound condition. When a newer, more efficient appliance is connected to an old, oversized flue, a properly sized metal liner is the usual solution.
How many housing units are there in Jackson County, Missouri?
Jackson County has an estimated 341,216 housing units, of which 312,709 are occupied, according to the Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey one-year estimates. About 168,000 of those units were built before 1970, which is roughly half of the county's housing.
How many homes in Jackson County heat with wood?
About 1,190 households in Jackson County, Missouri use wood as their main heating fuel, around 0.4% of occupied homes, per the 2024 American Community Survey. The figure does not count homes that use a fireplace or stove as secondary heat, which is far more common.