Manufactured Housing Industry Trends & Statistics

manufactured housing industry trends
A new manufactured home with features and amenities that fit into nearly any single-family residential setting.

What Is The State of the Manufactured Housing Industry? Updated Industry Facts and Figures

This post highlights some of the top-line trends in the manufactured housing industry. Manufactured homes continue to be a crucial solution to the affordable housing crisis. Judging by the numbers from our 2022 “State of the Industry” report on manufactured housing industry trends and statistics section, manufactured housing continues to meet the need for for affordable housing in the U.S., and there continues to be positive signs for growth.

Garden West Estates April Rent Dog Walker
A resident at Garden West Estates in Gardena, Calif., wears a mask while walking her dog. Photo courtesy of Newport Pacific.

Competitive Advantage

What is the cost per square foot comparison between manufactured and site-built homes?

The average cost per square foot of a site-built home is $139.20. The average cost per square foot for a manufactured home is $72.46.

Community Living

How many manufactured homes are there, and how many go to communities?

There are an estimated 4.3 million manufactured home sites in the United States. Approximately 27 percent of new manufactured homes are placed in a community. The U.S. has approximately 43,000 manufactured home communities. A third of the country’s communities were constructed in the 1950s through 1990s.

How Many People Live in Manufactured and Mobile Homes?

Manufactured housing industry trends and statistics show 22 million people in the U.S. live in a manufactured or mobile home. Manufactured homes make up 9 percent of annual new home starts. About 78 percent of new manufactured homes are titled as personal property (chattel).

Resident Satisfaction

How much do residents and owners of manufactured homes appreciate their purchasing decision?

New manufactured homes at a land-lease community in Arizona.

A recent study reveals 90 percent of people are satisfied with their mobile or manufactured home. Seventy-one percent of residents cite affordability as the key driver for choosing manufactured housing. About 62 percent of manufactured and mobile home residents anticipate living in their home for another 10 years, and 38 percent don’t ever anticipate selling their home.

Manufactured Housing Production

How many manufactured homes were built during 2021?

Thirty-three U.S. manufactured home builders operating from 141 plants (growth of six plants compared with 2020) across the country produced 105,772 housing units during 2021. Shipment levels of new manufactured homes eclipsed the 100,000 mark for the first time in 16 years.

Top Manufacturers

What are the top manufactured home builders by market share?

Builders work on a new home at the Cavco Industries’ Durango facility in Phoenix.
  1. Clayton Homes — 47.94 percent
  2. Skyline Champion — 17.36 percent
  3. Cavco Industries — 11.98 percent
  4. Legacy Homes — 2.27 percent
  5. American Home Star — 2.34 percent
  6. Hamilton Homebuilders — 2.71 percent
  7. Jessup Housing — 1.74 percent
  8. Adventure Homes — 1.57 percent
  9. Elliott MH MFG — 1.93 percent
  10. Commodore Corp. — 1.13 percent

Manufactured Housing Retail Markets

What are the top markets for manufactured housing retail sales?

New single-section homes for sale at a manufactured home retail center in Tucson, Ariz.
  1. Lake Charles, La.
  2. Chicago
  3. Jacksonville, Fla.
  4. Atlanta
  5. Tucson, Ariz.
  6. Greenville/Spartanburg, S.C.
  7. Monroe, La.
  8. Kingsport/Johnsonville, Tenn.
  9. Bristol, Tenn./Va.
  10. Columbia, S.C.

-Data provided by Datacomp, MHVillage, Statistical Surveys, and the Manufactured Housing Institute


What’s The State of the Manufactured Housing Industry?

MHlnsider updated its annual manufactured housing industry trends and statistics infographic, originally published in the May/June 2022 State of the Industry edition of MHInsider magazine. The following infographic includes data provided in summary earlier in the post and expands on information gathered from our surveys and data from other reliable sources.

Manufactured Housing Industry Trends and Statistics Infographic