Manufactured homes play a measurable role in the U.S. housing market by providing an affordable supply option for millions of households. According to the听, there are 7.2 million occupied manufactured homes in the U.S., representing 5.4% of total occupied housing and a source of affordable housing, in particular, for rural and lower income households.
Often thought of as synonymous to 鈥渕obile homes鈥� or 鈥渢railers鈥�, manufactured homes are a specific type of factory-built housing that adheres to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development鈥檚 (HUD鈥檚) Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards code. To qualify, a manufactured home must be a 鈥溾��, constructed on a permanent chassis.
The East South Central division (Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee) have the highest concentration of manufactured homes, representing 9.3% of total occupied housing. The Mountain region follows with 8.5%, while the South Atlantic region holds 7.7%.
The 1990s saw a surge in manufactured home shipments, peaking in 1998. During this period, manufactured homes constituted 17% to 24% of new single-family homes.听 However, shipments declined in the early 2000s, coinciding with a rapid increase in site-built housing construction leading up to the 2008 housing crisis. Since then, manufactured homes have stabilized at around 9% to 10% of new housing.
Characteristics of the 2023 Manufactured Home Stock
Given that most manufactured homes were produced in the 1990s, a significant portion of the existing manufactured home stock 鈥� approximately 72.2% 鈥� was built before 2000. Consequently, 7.7% of these homes are classified as inadequate compared to听. About 2% are considered severely inadequate and exhibit 鈥渕ajor deficiencies, such as exposed wiring, lack of electricity, missing hot or cold running water, or the absence of heating or cooling systems鈥�. However, with proper maintenance, manufactured homes can be as durable as site-built homes.
Currently, 57% of the occupied manufactured homes stock are single-section units, while 43% are multi-sections, according to the AHS. Single-section homes are manufactured homes that can be transported from factory to placement in a single piece while multi-sections are transported in multiple pieces and are joined on site. However, data from the Census show that newer shipments indicate a shift toward multi-section homes.
Demographics of Manufactured Homes Residents
Manufactured homes serve as a crucial housing option, particularly for those living in rural or non-metro areas. AHS data highlight a stark contrast between the locations of single-family and manufactured home residents. While most manufactured home residents (53%) live in rural areas, single-family residents are mostly concentrated (67%) in urbanized areas 鈥� defined as territories with a population of 50,000 or more. In comparison, only 33% of manufactured home residents reside in urbanized areas. Residents of both manufactured and single-family homes are less common in urban clusters 鈥� areas with populations between 2,500 and 50,000 鈥� comprising just 13% and 9%, respectively.
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