diff --git a/halotools/empirical_models/composite_models/hod_models/tests/test_zu_mandelbaum16.py b/halotools/empirical_models/composite_models/hod_models/tests/test_zu_mandelbaum16.py
index 38a01a1f5..7498e739f 100644
--- a/halotools/empirical_models/composite_models/hod_models/tests/test_zu_mandelbaum16.py
+++ b/halotools/empirical_models/composite_models/hod_models/tests/test_zu_mandelbaum16.py
@@ -11,9 +11,9 @@
 # This will be used to select tests whose
 # returned values depend on the configuration
 # of my personal cache directory files
-from astropy.config.paths import _find_home
+from pathlib import Path
 aph_home = '/Users/aphearin'
-detected_home = _find_home()
+detected_home = Path.home()
 if aph_home == detected_home:
     APH_MACHINE = True
 else:
diff --git a/halotools/empirical_models/factories/tests/test_hod_mock_factory.py b/halotools/empirical_models/factories/tests/test_hod_mock_factory.py
index 5b6e66314..eab6086df 100644
--- a/halotools/empirical_models/factories/tests/test_hod_mock_factory.py
+++ b/halotools/empirical_models/factories/tests/test_hod_mock_factory.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 import numpy as np
 import pytest
-from astropy.config.paths import _find_home
+from pathlib import Path
 
 from ....custom_exceptions import HalotoolsError
 from ....empirical_models import (
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 # returned values depend on the configuration
 # of my personal cache directory files
 aph_home = "/Users/aphearin"
-detected_home = _find_home()
+detected_home = Path.home()
 if aph_home == detected_home:
     APH_MACHINE = True
 else:
diff --git a/halotools/empirical_models/factories/tests/test_prebuilt_hod_model_factory.py b/halotools/empirical_models/factories/tests/test_prebuilt_hod_model_factory.py
index ef01c67de..ee78d200d 100644
--- a/halotools/empirical_models/factories/tests/test_prebuilt_hod_model_factory.py
+++ b/halotools/empirical_models/factories/tests/test_prebuilt_hod_model_factory.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 import numpy as np
 import pytest
-from astropy.config.paths import _find_home
+from pathlib import Path
 
 from ...factories import PrebuiltHodModelFactory
 
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 # returned values depend on the configuration
 # of my personal cache directory files
 aph_home = "/Users/aphearin"
-detected_home = _find_home()
+detected_home = Path.home()
 if aph_home == detected_home:
     APH_MACHINE = True
 else:
diff --git a/halotools/empirical_models/phase_space_models/analytic_models/satellites/nfw/tests/test_biased_nfw/test_biased_nfw_consistency_mockpop.py b/halotools/empirical_models/phase_space_models/analytic_models/satellites/nfw/tests/test_biased_nfw/test_biased_nfw_consistency_mockpop.py
index ac8d0ad5a..2e1bf48ea 100644
--- a/halotools/empirical_models/phase_space_models/analytic_models/satellites/nfw/tests/test_biased_nfw/test_biased_nfw_consistency_mockpop.py
+++ b/halotools/empirical_models/phase_space_models/analytic_models/satellites/nfw/tests/test_biased_nfw/test_biased_nfw_consistency_mockpop.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 from __future__ import absolute_import, division, print_function, unicode_literals
 
 import numpy as np
-from astropy.config.paths import _find_home
+from pathlib import Path
 import pytest
 
 from ...biased_nfw_phase_space import BiasedNFWPhaseSpace
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 # returned values depend on the configuration
 # of my personal cache directory files
 aph_home = '/Users/aphearin'
-detected_home = _find_home()
+detected_home = Path.home()
 if aph_home == detected_home:
     APH_MACHINE = True
 else:
diff --git a/halotools/empirical_models/phase_space_models/analytic_models/satellites/nfw/tests/test_conc_mass_inheritance/test_direct_from_halo_catalog.py b/halotools/empirical_models/phase_space_models/analytic_models/satellites/nfw/tests/test_conc_mass_inheritance/test_direct_from_halo_catalog.py
index 6427e0a94..e9aa148f6 100644
--- a/halotools/empirical_models/phase_space_models/analytic_models/satellites/nfw/tests/test_conc_mass_inheritance/test_direct_from_halo_catalog.py
+++ b/halotools/empirical_models/phase_space_models/analytic_models/satellites/nfw/tests/test_conc_mass_inheritance/test_direct_from_halo_catalog.py
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@
 # This will be used to select tests whose
 # returned values depend on the configuration
 # of my personal cache directory files
-from astropy.config.paths import _find_home
+from pathlib import Path
 aph_home = '/Users/aphearin'
-detected_home = _find_home()
+detected_home = Path.home()
 if aph_home == detected_home:
     APH_MACHINE = True
 else:
diff --git a/halotools/mock_observables/pair_counters/test_pair_counters/test_marked_npairs_3d.py b/halotools/mock_observables/pair_counters/test_pair_counters/test_marked_npairs_3d.py
index e67adcf4b..744f409a3 100644
--- a/halotools/mock_observables/pair_counters/test_pair_counters/test_marked_npairs_3d.py
+++ b/halotools/mock_observables/pair_counters/test_pair_counters/test_marked_npairs_3d.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 import numpy as np
 import pytest
 from astropy.utils.misc import NumpyRNGContext
-from astropy.config.paths import _find_home
+from pathlib import Path
 
 from ..pairs import wnpairs as pure_python_weighted_pairs
 from ..marked_npairs_3d import marked_npairs_3d, _func_signature_int_from_wfunc
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 # returned values depend on the configuration
 # of my personal cache directory files
 aph_home = "/Users/aphearin"
-detected_home = _find_home()
+detected_home = Path.home()
 if aph_home == detected_home:
     APH_MACHINE = True
 else:
diff --git a/halotools/mock_observables/pair_counters/test_pair_counters/test_marked_npairs_xy_z.py b/halotools/mock_observables/pair_counters/test_pair_counters/test_marked_npairs_xy_z.py
index ef483a871..f0a93bf20 100644
--- a/halotools/mock_observables/pair_counters/test_pair_counters/test_marked_npairs_xy_z.py
+++ b/halotools/mock_observables/pair_counters/test_pair_counters/test_marked_npairs_xy_z.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 import numpy as np
 import pytest
 from astropy.utils.misc import NumpyRNGContext
-from astropy.config.paths import _find_home
+from pathlib import Path
 
 from ..pairs import xy_z_wnpairs as pure_python_weighted_pairs
 from ..marked_npairs_xy_z import marked_npairs_xy_z
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 # returned values depend on the configuration
 # of my personal cache directory files
 aph_home = "/Users/aphearin"
-detected_home = _find_home()
+detected_home = Path.home()
 if aph_home == detected_home:
     APH_MACHINE = True
 else:
diff --git a/halotools/mock_observables/pair_counters/test_pair_counters/test_npairs_3d.py b/halotools/mock_observables/pair_counters/test_pair_counters/test_npairs_3d.py
index e010a33e5..b33c4293a 100644
--- a/halotools/mock_observables/pair_counters/test_pair_counters/test_npairs_3d.py
+++ b/halotools/mock_observables/pair_counters/test_pair_counters/test_npairs_3d.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 import numpy as np
 import pytest
 from astropy.utils.misc import NumpyRNGContext
-from astropy.config.paths import _find_home
+from pathlib import Path
 
 from ..npairs_3d import npairs_3d
 from ..pairs import npairs as pure_python_brute_force_npairs_3d
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 # returned values depend on the configuration
 # of my personal cache directory files
 aph_home = '/Users/aphearin'
-detected_home = _find_home()
+detected_home = Path.home()
 if aph_home == detected_home:
     APH_MACHINE = True
 else:
diff --git a/halotools/mock_observables/two_point_clustering/tests/locate_external_unit_testing_data.py b/halotools/mock_observables/two_point_clustering/tests/locate_external_unit_testing_data.py
index 842d65faa..fcf50c20f 100644
--- a/halotools/mock_observables/two_point_clustering/tests/locate_external_unit_testing_data.py
+++ b/halotools/mock_observables/two_point_clustering/tests/locate_external_unit_testing_data.py
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@
 from __future__ import absolute_import, division, print_function, unicode_literals
 
 import os
-from astropy.config.paths import _find_home
-halotools_cache_dirname = os.path.join(_find_home(), '.astropy', 'cache', 'halotools')
+from pathlib import Path
+halotools_cache_dirname = os.path.join(Path.home(), '.astropy', 'cache', 'halotools')
 halotool_unit_testing_dirname = os.path.join(halotools_cache_dirname, 'unit_testing_files')
 
 
diff --git a/halotools/sim_manager/__init__.py b/halotools/sim_manager/__init__.py
index fb6123b4c..3bc4011c2 100644
--- a/halotools/sim_manager/__init__.py
+++ b/halotools/sim_manager/__init__.py
@@ -8,10 +8,10 @@
                         unicode_literals)
 
 import os
-from astropy.config.paths import _find_home
+from pathlib import Path
 
 try:
-    halotools_cache_dirname = os.path.join(_find_home(), '.astropy', 'cache', 'halotools')
+    halotools_cache_dirname = os.path.join(Path.home(), '.astropy', 'cache', 'halotools')
     os.makedirs(halotools_cache_dirname)
 except OSError:
     pass
diff --git a/halotools/sim_manager/tests/helper_functions.py b/halotools/sim_manager/tests/helper_functions.py
index 7fdadc2f0..92d5c09da 100644
--- a/halotools/sim_manager/tests/helper_functions.py
+++ b/halotools/sim_manager/tests/helper_functions.py
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@
 from astropy.table import Table
 from astropy.table import vstack as table_vstack
 
-from astropy.config.paths import _find_home
+from pathlib import Path
 
-detected_home = _find_home()
+detected_home = Path.home()
 
 __all__ = ('add_new_row_to_cache_log', )
 
diff --git a/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_cached_halo_catalog.py b/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_cached_halo_catalog.py
index ed160faa1..a9ba81287 100644
--- a/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_cached_halo_catalog.py
+++ b/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_cached_halo_catalog.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 import shutil
 from unittest import TestCase
 
-from astropy.config.paths import _find_home
+from pathlib import Path
 from astropy.table import Table
 from astropy.tests.helper import pytest
 
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 # returned values depend on the configuration
 # of my personal cache directory files
 aph_home = "/Users/aphearin"
-detected_home = _find_home()
+detected_home = Path.home()
 if aph_home == detected_home:
     APH_MACHINE = True
 else:
diff --git a/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_download_manager.py b/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_download_manager.py
index ce0390d2a..0d75ab849 100644
--- a/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_download_manager.py
+++ b/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_download_manager.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 from unittest import TestCase
 
 import numpy as np
-from astropy.config.paths import _find_home
+from pathlib import Path
 from astropy.table import Table
 from astropy.tests.helper import pytest
 
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 # returned values depend on the configuration
 # of my personal cache directory files
 aph_home = "/Users/aphearin"
-detected_home = _find_home()
+detected_home = Path.home()
 if aph_home == detected_home:
     APH_MACHINE = True
 else:
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 
 class TestDownloadManager(TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
-        homedir = _find_home()
+        homedir = Path.home()
 
         self.downman = DownloadManager()
 
diff --git a/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_halo_table_cache.py b/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_halo_table_cache.py
index 972ba00d3..8407ec382 100644
--- a/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_halo_table_cache.py
+++ b/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_halo_table_cache.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 except ImportError:
     HAS_H5PY = False
 
-from astropy.config.paths import _find_home
+from pathlib import Path
 
 from . import helper_functions
 
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 # returned values depend on the configuration
 # of my personal cache directory files
 aph_home = '/Users/aphearin'
-detected_home = _find_home()
+detected_home = Path.home()
 if aph_home == detected_home:
     APH_MACHINE = True
 else:
diff --git a/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_halo_table_cache_log_entry.py b/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_halo_table_cache_log_entry.py
index 51d81f542..8e6374403 100644
--- a/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_halo_table_cache_log_entry.py
+++ b/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_halo_table_cache_log_entry.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 
 from astropy.table import Table
 
-from astropy.config.paths import _find_home
+from pathlib import Path
 
 try:
     import h5py
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 # returned values depend on the configuration
 # of my personal cache directory files
 aph_home = '/Users/aphearin'
-detected_home = _find_home()
+detected_home = Path.home()
 if aph_home == detected_home:
     APH_MACHINE = True
 else:
diff --git a/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_load_default_halocat.py b/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_load_default_halocat.py
index add483cae..8ec369b99 100644
--- a/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_load_default_halocat.py
+++ b/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_load_default_halocat.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 from __future__ import absolute_import, division, print_function, unicode_literals
 
 
-from astropy.config.paths import _find_home
+from pathlib import Path
 import pytest
 
 from ..cached_halo_catalog import CachedHaloCatalog
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 from ...utils.python_string_comparisons import compare_strings_py23_safe
 
 aph_home = '/Users/aphearin'
-detected_home = _find_home()
+detected_home = Path.home()
 if aph_home == detected_home:
     APH_MACHINE = True
 else:
diff --git a/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_ptcl_table_cache.py b/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_ptcl_table_cache.py
index 009c859f4..96a9433d2 100644
--- a/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_ptcl_table_cache.py
+++ b/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_ptcl_table_cache.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 except ImportError:
     HAS_H5PY = False
 
-from astropy.config.paths import _find_home
+from pathlib import Path
 from astropy.table import Table
 
 from . import helper_functions
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 # returned values depend on the configuration
 # of my personal cache directory files
 aph_home = '/Users/aphearin'
-detected_home = _find_home()
+detected_home = Path.home()
 if aph_home == detected_home:
     APH_MACHINE = True
 else:
diff --git a/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_ptcl_table_cache_log_entry.py b/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_ptcl_table_cache_log_entry.py
index e13cde2fd..65a4cf300 100644
--- a/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_ptcl_table_cache_log_entry.py
+++ b/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_ptcl_table_cache_log_entry.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 except ImportError:
     HAS_H5PY = False
 
-from astropy.config.paths import _find_home
+from pathlib import Path
 
 from . import helper_functions
 from ..ptcl_table_cache_log_entry import PtclTableCacheLogEntry
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 # returned values depend on the configuration
 # of my personal cache directory files
 aph_home = '/Users/aphearin'
-detected_home = _find_home()
+detected_home = Path.home()
 if aph_home == detected_home:
     APH_MACHINE = True
 else:
diff --git a/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_rockstar_hlist_reader.py b/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_rockstar_hlist_reader.py
index ee0c8dbd7..fb4e1a11c 100644
--- a/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_rockstar_hlist_reader.py
+++ b/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_rockstar_hlist_reader.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 import pytest
 from astropy.table import Table
 from astropy.utils.misc import NumpyRNGContext
-from astropy.config.paths import _find_home
+from pathlib import Path
 from astropy.utils.data import get_pkg_data_filename
 from collections import OrderedDict
 
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 # returned values depend on the configuration
 # of my personal cache directory files
 aph_home = '/Users/aphearin'
-detected_home = _find_home()
+detected_home = Path.home()
 if aph_home == detected_home:
     APH_MACHINE = True
 else:
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ class TestRockstarHlistReader(TestCase):
 
     def setUp(self):
 
-        self.tmpdir = os.path.join(_find_home(), '.tmp_testingdir')
+        self.tmpdir = os.path.join(Path.home(), '.tmp_testingdir')
         try:
             os.makedirs(self.tmpdir)
         except OSError:
diff --git a/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_supported_sims.py b/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_supported_sims.py
index 957962f20..870f74327 100644
--- a/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_supported_sims.py
+++ b/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_supported_sims.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 import numpy as np
 import pytest
-from astropy.config.paths import _find_home
+from pathlib import Path
 
 from ...custom_exceptions import HalotoolsError
 from ..cached_halo_catalog import CachedHaloCatalog, InvalidCacheLogEntry
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 slow = pytest.mark.slow
 
 aph_home = "/Users/aphearin"
-detected_home = _find_home()
+detected_home = Path.home()
 if aph_home == detected_home:
     APH_MACHINE = True
 else:
diff --git a/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_tabular_ascii_reader.py b/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_tabular_ascii_reader.py
index b6565b3f9..3ce86567c 100644
--- a/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_tabular_ascii_reader.py
+++ b/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_tabular_ascii_reader.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 import pytest
 from astropy.table import Table
 
-from astropy.config.paths import _find_home
+from pathlib import Path
 
 from ..tabular_ascii_reader import TabularAsciiReader
 
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 # returned values depend on the configuration
 # of my personal cache directory files
 aph_home = '/Users/aphearin'
-detected_home = _find_home()
+detected_home = Path.home()
 if aph_home == detected_home:
     APH_MACHINE = True
 else:
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class TestTabularAsciiReader(TestCase):
 
     def setUp(self):
 
-        self.tmpdir = os.path.join(_find_home(), '.temp_halotools_testing_dir')
+        self.tmpdir = os.path.join(Path.home(), '.temp_halotools_testing_dir')
         try:
             os.makedirs(self.tmpdir)
         except OSError:
diff --git a/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_user_supplied_halo_catalog.py b/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_user_supplied_halo_catalog.py
index ca918b391..91054fc13 100644
--- a/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_user_supplied_halo_catalog.py
+++ b/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_user_supplied_halo_catalog.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 import os
 import shutil
 
-from astropy.config.paths import _find_home
+from pathlib import Path
 import pytest
 
 try:
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 # returned values depend on the configuration
 # of my personal cache directory files
 aph_home = "/Users/aphearin"
-detected_home = _find_home()
+detected_home = Path.home()
 if aph_home == detected_home:
     APH_MACHINE = True
 else:
diff --git a/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_user_supplied_ptcl_catalog.py b/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_user_supplied_ptcl_catalog.py
index 55831005c..c0a1429c8 100644
--- a/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_user_supplied_ptcl_catalog.py
+++ b/halotools/sim_manager/tests/test_user_supplied_ptcl_catalog.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 import os
 import shutil
 
-from astropy.config.paths import _find_home
+from pathlib import Path
 import pytest
 
 try:
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 # returned values depend on the configuration
 # of my personal cache directory files
 aph_home = '/Users/aphearin'
-detected_home = _find_home()
+detected_home = Path.home()
 if aph_home == detected_home:
     APH_MACHINE = True
 else:
diff --git a/halotools/tests/docs_code_block_tests/test_preloaded_mockpop.py b/halotools/tests/docs_code_block_tests/test_preloaded_mockpop.py
index ba2703625..a150033cc 100644
--- a/halotools/tests/docs_code_block_tests/test_preloaded_mockpop.py
+++ b/halotools/tests/docs_code_block_tests/test_preloaded_mockpop.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 to ensure the still get executed.
 """
 import numpy as np
-from astropy.config.paths import _find_home
+from pathlib import Path
 
 from ...sim_manager import FakeSim
 from ...empirical_models import PrebuiltHodModelFactory, PrebuiltSubhaloModelFactory
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 # returned values depend on the configuration
 # of my personal cache directory files
 aph_home = "/Users/aphearin"
-detected_home = _find_home()
+detected_home = Path.home()
 if aph_home == detected_home:
     APH_MACHINE = True
 else: