Manufactured Housing Share Vs Site Built on the Rise Across The U.S.

Manufactured Housing Share Vs Site Built on the Rise Across The U.S.

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In Manufactured Home News, Manufactured Homes, Manufactured Housing News, New Manufactured Homes
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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are currently 22 million Americans living in 6.8 million manufactured homes across the U.S.  After years of decline starting in the late 1990’s, manufactured housing has been rising in popularity over the last few years. 

The manufactured home resurgence compared to new site-built homes in the five year period from 2014 to 2019  is continuing to uptick across the United States, according to data research analysis by Construction Coverage from the U.S.Census Bureau’s Manufactured Housing Survey. 

The share of new manufactured homes compared to all new single-family homes was 7.8 percent in 2006. As of 2019, about 10% of new single-family homes (including manufactured homes) are categorized as manufactured homes.

One of the biggest advantages of manufactured homes is the price. The cost advantage is profound. The average sales price of a new site-built home (excluding land) in 2019 was $297,747 – about 6 times more expensive than a single-section home ($52,400) and 3 times as expensive as a double-section manufactured home ($99,500).

While the average site-built home is larger than the average manufactured home, the latter is by far, the most cost-effective option on a per-square-foot basis. The price per square foot for a manufactured home is about $50, compared to $114 for a site-built home (excluding land), an astounding differential when considering that a manufactured home will be equal, and often superior, to a site-built home in every respect, including quality of construction, materials, amenities, durability energy efficiency, fire and wind safety and customization options to meet home buyer’s specific needs and wants. 

 

Historically, Manufactured Homes Have Been More Popular In The South And West

The lion’s share of manufactured homes are predominately in Southern and Western U.S. states where one-third of all homes in 111 counties are manufactured homes. Another example; the share of manufactured homes in New Mexico, South Carolina, Mississippi, and West Virginia are more than twice the national average. On the other hand, less than 2 percent of homes in the northeast states like Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Connecticut are manufactured homes.

Here are the statistics for the entire United States:

  • 5-year change in new manufactured homes: 47.1%
  • 5-year change in new single-family site-built homes: 34.6%
  • New single-family homes in 2019: 94,615 manufactured/862,100 site-built.
  • Share of existing single-family homes that are manufactured: 7.5%

Surprising for many, is the fact that the manufactured home share of single-family homes, compared to site-built, increased in 41 U.S. states over the preceding five years (2014 to 2019). ( Note: Hawaii, Rhode Island, Alaska and District of Columbia were excluded due to insufficient data on manufactured housing).

 

Top 5 States Where Manufactured Home Share Increased 130% plus Compared To Site-Built

According to the aforementioned U.S. Census Bureau’s Manufactured Housing Survey for each state, the five-year change in new manufactured homes was calculated as the percentage change in new manufactured home shipments comparing 2019 to 2014. Statistics on new single-family site-built homes are from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Building Permit Survey. Similarly, the five-year change in new single-family site-built homes was calculated also comparing 2019 to 2014. Following are the five states with a 130% plus share increase in manufactured homes:

 

1.NEVADA

  • 5-year change in new manufactured homes: 301%
  • 5-year change in new single-family site-built homes: 47.3%
  • New single-family homes in 2019: 810 manufactured/13,088 site-built.
  • Share of existing single-family homes that are manufactured: 5.5%

 

  1. INDIANA
  • 5-year change in new manufactured homes: 164.9%
  • 5-year change in new single-family site-built homes: 34.3%
  • New single-family homes in 2019: 2,180 manufactured/16,308 site-built
  • Share of existing single-family homes that are manufactured: 5.5%
  1. KANSAS
  • 5-year change in new manufactured homes: 162.2%
  • 5-year change in new single-family site-built homes: 4.4%
  • New single-family homes in 2019: 860 manufactured/5,089 site-built
  • Share of existing single-family homes that are manufactured: 4.7%

 

  1. WISCONSIN
  • 5-year change in new manufactured homes: 152.7%
  • 5-year change in new single-family site-built homes: 31.6%
  • New single-family homes in 2019: 657 manufactured/11,298 site-built.
  • Share of existing single-family homes that are manufactured: 3.8%

 

  1. GEORGIA
  • 5-year change in new manufactured homes: 138.7%
  • 5-year change in new single-family site-built homes: 56.1%
  • New single-family homes in 2019: 3,649 manufactured/42,939 site-built.
  • Share of existing single-family homes that are manufactured: 9.9% 

The following six states posted percentage changes in new manufactured home shipments in excess of 100%.

  1. Nebraska 113.9% 7. New Jersey 109.9%  8. North Carolina 108.8% 
  2. Minnesota  108.1%  10. Florida 106.9%  11. Arizona 105.5%

As the U.S. enters a recession in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, the demand for both site-built and manufactured housing is likely to undergo even more dramatic changes in the near future.

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