Mobile Home Trends: Who’s Buying Mobile Homes These Days?

Living in a mobile home has given you an up-close view of what the housing option is like. Of course, you know a lot about yourself and your mobile home – why you chose this domicile, how you decided to finance it, etc. But while you’re the expert in your own life, obviously you don’t know as much about others who have chosen this type of housing. Perhaps you’re wondering who your mobile home neighbors are. Or maybe you’re an investor wondering who might be interested in mobile homes. Either way, we hope that today’s article shows you that the mobile world is bigger than you think.

Mobile homes on the move

Mobile homes may not actually be as mobile as the name implies. However, it stands to reason that all mobile homes have to be moved at least once in their lifetimes. Of course, mobile homes are made in factories. It goes without saying that no one wants to live in a home in a factory (and factory managers would likely protest, too). Thus, at the very least, any mobile home would have to be moved at least once – just to get it out of the factory.

Where mobile homes come from

While nobody wants to live in a mobile home factory (at least we don’t know anyone who does), we’re still quite grateful that such places exist. After all, somebody has to build those homes to make them available for the buying public. So mobile home owners owe them a lot. For the curious among us, a factory tour might be just the thing to satisfy the urge to know more about how these homes came into being. And next time you need a statistic to share about the building stage, consider this, the Manufactured Housing Institute says there are “121 plants across the country.”

And where they go

But more than knowing just where mobile homes come from, you want to know where are all these mobile homes going. They can’t all be shipped to your state, because though you notice mobile homes when you’re out for a drive, you just don’t see enough to account for all the homes coming out of those plants.

When it comes to top U.S. destinations for those mobile homes that manufacturers are pumping out and shipping along, the state of Texas takes home 1st prize. The Manufactured Housing Institute determined that in 2017 Texas shipped in the most mobile homes at 17,676 (with Alabama next and Florida after that).

So it looks like wherever you live, you have something in common with Texans – demand for mobile homes. Regardless of where your state allegiances lie, you can join Texas in saying bring on the mobile homes!

The financial picture

Even though a mobile home can be a less costly option than a stick-built house, it still does cost money to purchase one. And, as we all know, money doesn’t grow on trees. So, who’s purchasing these homes? What does their income look like?

The Manufactured Housing Institue’s said that “$30,000” was the “median household income” when it came to people choosing these homes in America. However, keep in mind that the median in a set of numbers is the middle number. So, the number could be different from the average income for the households. And the range of incomes could be pretty broad when you consider the outliers. For instance, we’ll venture a guess that celebrities who own mobile homes have incomes a whole lot larger than $30,000.

The big picture (and we mean BIG)

Now that you’re beginning to get some stats to add to your arsenal when convincing others of the benefits of mobile home living, let’s zoom out for the bird’s eye view. How many people do you think live in mobile homes in the United States? Before you venture a guess, here’s a friendly suggestion: go big or go home – it’s in the millions.

Ready for this? 22 million. Yep, as per the Manufactured Housing Institue’s  there are 22 million people who, like you, dwell in manufactured housing.

First-timers

Perhaps you chose a mobile home when you were just starting out in life. To you, it seemed like a great option for a first home. Turns out, you’re not alone there either. It looks like manufactured homes make up “9% of new single family home starts” (information coming from the Manufactured Housing Facts: Industry Overview once again).

Prepare to share

Armed with these statistics, do you feel charged up about spreading your love of your manufactured homes with others? Pick one or two of your favorite statistics, and store them securely in your brain for the next time the topic of manufactured homes comes up. Perhaps these numbers have even convinced you that mobile home investment isn’t a bad idea. If you’re looking for a fun way to share more mobile home info, check out our mobile home quiz.