Average Cost of a Manufactured Home in 2021
The article explores average prices for the different kind of manufactured homes as well as the cost of land. You can also see the comparison of prices for new manufactured homes vs new single-family site-built homes.
Why Manufactured Home?
There always has been a need for quality, affordable housing. And the prefabricated housing industry has come up with the solution for people who want a new home with all of the features that a site-built home would offer but at a fraction of the price – manufactured homes. Depending on the size, area, and other features the cost of mobile homes can vary vastly. This article explores average prices for the different kind of manufactured homes as well as the cost of land.
First, let’s review what a manufactured home is and why it is more affordable than a site-built home.
A Manufactured Home is a home built entirely in the factory under a federal building code administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Manufactured homes may be single- or multi-section and are transported to your home site and installed. Manufactured homes set up costs strongly depend on the complexity of the site and distance traveled. But in any case manufactured homes on average are less expensive than site-built homes.
Manufactured homes are less expensive because:
- The factory uses an assembly line to build these homes. The process becomes more efficient;
- It is built inside so there are no weather delays;
- Manufacturing is not disrupted by theft of both workers and hooligans;
- Due to the scale of production, a manufacturer buys large quantities of materials at less cost;
- The property taxes on manufactured homes are lower than on-site homes;
- Mortgages on manufactured homes are easier to obtain.
Analyzing manufactured homes and their average cost, it is clear that for many people mobile home costs are more affordable than site-built homes which are directly built at the location where it is going to be inhabited.
Another fact indeed is that mobile homes can make homeownership easier to achieve. And since mobile homes cost less per square foot than a stick built home, you can get more space for your money.
Average Sales Price of New Manufactured Homes by Size
Brand new mobile home prices differ by size, location, structure and other factors. Considering the fact how much you will be saving by buying a mobile home compared to an on-site built home you might consider getting a brand new mobile. Let’s check the cost of mobile homes below.
In the table below you can see how much Single Wides, Double Wides, and homes with more than two sections cost in the Western region of the United States in 2018-2020.
| Total* | Single | Double | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | |||
| January | $98,900 | $59,400 | $114,200 |
| February | $87,100 | $53,900 | $100,600 |
| March | $82,900 | $45,800 | $98,700 |
| April | $103,100 | $67,400 | $113,400 |
| May | $104,000 | $60,300 | $108,900 |
| June | $105,000 | $57,600 | $122,900 |
| July | $102,800 | $59,300 | $118,200 |
| August | $97,400 | $57,600 | $110,300 |
| September | $102,600 | $62,000 | $111,600 |
| October | $105,100 | $57,300 | $116,500 |
| November | $99,300 | $62,600 | $107,800 |
| December | $101,400 | $51,600 | $120,400 |
| 2019 | |||
| January | $95,800 | $59,000 | $110,400 |
| February | $103,100 | $43,500 | $119,400 |
| March | $92,900 | $49,100 | $108,500 |
| April | $95,400 | $63,600 | $109,100 |
| May | $96,300 | $55,000 | $106,800 |
| June | $100,600 | $47,000 | $118,800 |
| July | $108,400 | $45,700 | $121,000 |
| August | $107,500 | $48,200 | $120,700 |
| September | $99,500 | $55,300 | $113,000 |
| October | $96,600 | $58,800 | $109,100 |
| November | $101,400 | $54,100 | $114,700 |
| December | $97,700 | $52,100 | $107,600 |
| 2020 | |||
| January | $103,400 | $59,900 | $111,300 |
| February | $103,500 | $59,600 | $118,900 |
| March | $92,600 | $54,300 | $106,700 |
| April | $111,800 | $64,500 | $120,300 |
*Total – manufactured homes with more than two sections.
There are 3 types of manufactured homes: Single Wides, Double Wides, and Triple/Multi Wides. These are their main characteristics:
- Average Size: from 500 to 1200 square feet
- What’s included: 1-2 (rarely 3) bedrooms, 1-2 bathrooms
- Average Size: from 1000 to 2200 square feet
- What’s included: 2-3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
- Average Size: from 2000+ square feet
- What’s included: 3+ bedrooms, 2+ bathrooms
Winter vs Summer Manufactured Homes Prices in the Western Region
Average prices in the period January-March are lower than in other months. Brand new mobile homes can be found at much more affordable prices in January-March.
As there are fewer people buying in winter, there are fewer people selling in winter. So it is cheaper to buy a home in winter. But it is more difficult to find your perfect combination of size and style because there are fewer homes to choose from – and thus homes cost less. Some associate it with a school year.
Single Wide mobile homes price: $43,500 – $59,000
Double Wide mobile homes price: $110,400 – $119,400
Manufactured homes with more than two sections: $92,900 – $103,100
Otherwise, during the summer, there are many houses for sale and people can find their ‘perfect home’ fast, and they are willing to pay a higher price for it. Finding the “golden in-between” is certainly very challenging nowadays. If you can catch the “fish” during the season that will be a win for you. So the average price range in the period June-September is higher than the rest of the year:
Single Wide mobile homes price: $57,600 – $62,000
Double Wide mobile homes price: $110,300 – $122,900
Manufactured homes with more than two sections: $97,400 – $102,800
Average Nationwide Prices
In the table below you can see how much Single Wides, Double Wides, and homes with more than two sections cost nationwide in 2018-2020 (chart 2).
| 2018 | Total* | Single Wide | Double Wide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | $80,500 | $54,200 | $99,700 |
| Q2 | $81,333 | $53,833 | $101,867 |
| Q3 | $81,567 | $54,000 | $104,167 |
| Q4 | $81,900 | $52,133 | $104,367 |
| 2019 | |||
| Q1 | $80,467 | $54,100 | $100,867 |
| Q2 | $82,533 | $52,933 | $105,400 |
| Q3 | $83,233 | $53,467 | $105,533 |
| Q4 | $84,233 | $54,900 | $107,433 |
| 2020 | |||
| Q1 | $86,133 | $53,800 | $109,033 |
*Total – manufactured homes with more than two sections
Comparing Prices. New Manufactured vs New Single-Family Site-Built Homes. Cost per Foot Square
The table below outlines the average sales price and a cost per foot square between new manufactured homes and single-family site-built homes.
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Manufactured Homes (Including typical installation cost,excluding land) | |||
| Single | |||
| Average Sales Price | $46,700 | $48,300 | $52,400 |
| Average Square Footage | 1,075 | 1,087 | 1,072 |
| Cost Per Square Foot | $43,44 | $44,43 | $48,88 |
| Double | |||
| Average Sales Price | $89,500 | $92,800 | $99,500 |
| Average Square Footage | 1,746 | 1,733 | 1,747 |
| Cost Per Square Foot | $51,26 | $53,55 | $51,26 |
| New Single-Family Site-Built Homes | |||
| Average Sales Price | $360,900 | $384,900 | $385,000 |
| Less Land Price | -$82,491 | -$91,173 | -$87,253 |
| Price of Structure | $286,814 | $276,284 | $286,814 |
| Average Square Footage | 2,650 | 2,645 | 2,602 |
| Cost Per Square Foot | $105,06 | $111,05 | $114,43 |
Home Values of Site-Built Homes in 2021 according to Zillow Home Value Index and Homes.com:
- in Arizona median list price per square foot: $150; median sale price: $303,230
- in California median list price per square foot: $341; median sale price: $609,757
- in New Mexico median list price per square foot: $113; median sale price: $224,374
- in Oregon median list price per square foot: $216; median sale price: $393,710
- in Washington median list price per square foot: $220; median sale price: $458,313
The average cost per square foot for a multi-sectioned manufactured house is significantly smaller than the average cost per square foot for a single-family site-built house. It is $63,9 against $155 including installation costs for a manufactured home. Manufactured homes provide the highest quality at significantly lower prices than site-built homes.
Buying land. How much does it cost?
When buying a manufactured home you need to think of where will you put it. It can be a mobile home park or a lot that you own or going to purchase. Land values differ greatly throughout all 50 states.
If we break it down you have to consider two major mobile home costs: the cost of the structure (can vary a lot depending on what you want) and the cost to rent or purchase the land it sits on. Buying the land might be costly (depending on the state you are in). On the other hand, it might be more cost effective than renting it. Renting at the end piles up a huge number, it is always better to have a solid land where you want to put your homes in.
Here is the land value per acre for states HomesDirect operates in (chart 4):
| 2019 | Housing Codes, Regulations,and Requirements Guides | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AZ | $4,328 | Guide for Arizona | ||
| CA | $39,092 | Guide for California | ||
| WA | $16,752 | Guide for Washington | ||
| NM | $1,931 | Guide for New Mexico | ||
| OR | $6,503 | Guide for Oregon |
Additional Costs to Consider
Utility Hookups
Electrical and telephone hookups should be discussed with the appropriate utility authorities that handle these hookups. If the manufactured home is located on an isolated property, then a substantial cost could be incurred for the hookup. Each utility can provide an estimate of the costs.
Delivery
Most manufacturers include delivery from the factory to the site if the site is within a fixed radius of miles, which in most instances is 100 miles (our internet pricing does not include delivery, setup, or sales tax). The purchaser is responsible for the expense of the additional miles beyond the radius of 100 miles as well as additional expenses necessary to deliver the home. These expenses include additional equipment and manpower required to access the installation site and place the home on the site.
Consider looking through the costs of mobile home delivery if you don’t fall into the fixed radius that the factory covers.
Taxes
States and municipal governments within states establish a tax formula and a tax rate. Some states tax a manufactured home at the same rate as would be applied to a site-built home, or a stick-built home as some refer to the home constructed on-site. Some states like Florida have a tax that is similar to the license tax for a car. Local governments may add a tax, but even this tax is very low. Other states have significantly higher tax rates on manufactured homes.
The taxes are not set indeed and they can vary much depending on the type of mobile home you choose to get: brand new mobile home, small, single wide and so on. As the tax system is different you should consider checking the terms.
