Any house built before 1940 is a very good bet to contain lead paint. In houses built between 1940 and 1955, the danger is less, though it stifi exists. After 1955, paint manufacturers finally stopped using a lead base, though the use of lead wasn’t actually banned until 1970.
Removal of lead paint is costly. To delead and repaint surfaces accessible to small children in a medium-sized house can cost as much as $6,000. And there is really no alternative to removal, since lead poisoning can devastate a child. Some jurisdictions now require the removal of lead paint from dwellings occupied by children under the age of six.
But you should be concerned about the presence of lead paint even if you don’t have young kids, simply because it could become an obstacle when and if you decide to sell.