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Manufactured Home Prices: How Manufactured Homes Compare Per Square Foot to Site-Built Homes

Manufactured home prices are one of the most appealing elements of this type of home. Their affordability makes manufactured homes an accessible housing option in an otherwise restrictive market. 

According to the Manufactured Housing Institute, manufactured homes can cost half as much per square foot as site-built homes. That’s a huge difference! Let’s dive into the cost specifics below. 

Average manufactured home prices

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that as of January 2024, the average cost of a new manufactured home in the United States is $119,200. In contrast, the average sales price of a new single-family site-built home in 2023 was $514,000. 

Average cost of a new manufactured home: $119,200

Average cost of a new site-built home: $514,000

(Curious how our homes at Aspire Communities compare in cost? Check out our available homes for sale.)

The Census Bureau got this figure for manufactured homes by taking the average cost of single and double-wide manufactured homes and finding the median between them. Here are the average prices for single and double manufactured homes:

Average cost of a new single-wide manufactured home: $78,900

Average cost of a new double-wide manufactured home: $148,100

Understandably, double-wide manufactured homes tend to cost about twice as much as singles. 

Now let’s take a look at manufactured home cost per square foot!

Manufactured home prices per square foot

Since manufactured homes tend to run a bit smaller than site-built homes, it can be more helpful to understand manufactured home prices in terms of square feet.

The average cost per square foot of a manufactured home is $85 according to the Manufactured Housing Institute. They estimate the average cost of a site-built home at around $168 per square foot, making manufactured home prices just over half the cost of site-built homes per square foot.

Average cost of a manufactured home: $85/sqft

Average cost of a site-built home: $168/sqft

Additional costs to keep in mind

Living in a manufactured home comes with a few additional costs beyond the price of the house itself that you should be aware of. Let’s break them down:

1. Lot Rental

Unless you own the land where your manufactured home is installed, you can expect to pay a monthly lot rental fee. This is the case whether you live in a manufactured home community or rent private land (but a community gets you awesome amenities with your rent costs)! One particularly nice about living in a land-lease community is that you as the homeowner are not responsible for paying property tax.

2. Utility hookups and ongoing payments

One upfront cost to anticipate when you buy a manufactured home (depending on what community you live in) is getting it hooked up to utilities like electricity, water, and gas. Fortunately, most manufactured home communities include utility hookups in the cost of the home, but some require the homeowner to do this on their own. Check your manufactured home community’s policy on utilities to learn what to expect before you move in!
And just like any home, ongoing utility bills are your responsibility, too. The good news is, new manufactured homes are made to be exceptionally energy efficient, so the cost of utilities can often be lower than in stick-built homes and older homes.

3. Home and yard maintenance

While a manufactured home community may take care of some seasonal outdoor maintenance (like snow plowing), your yard and home exterior are typically your own responsibility to maintain.
So, you can expect to be responsible for mowing your lawn, landscaping, chipping exterior paint, and any other aesthetic concerns with your home exterior and yard. Like any homeowner, these home maintenance costs are on you. 

Even with these additional costs, manufactured homes still offer one of the most affordable housing options out there. Not to mention the advantages of living in a manufactured home community, where you get both affordable housing and a fun, welcoming community! 

Looking for a beautiful home that doesn’t break the bank?

We know what it feels like to worry that you’ll never be a homeowner. 

Today’s housing market is daunting for anyone, but it can be especially discouraging for those with a smaller budget. Many people are starting to doubt that they will be able to buy a home at all, let alone an attractive and modern home.

But at Aspire Communities, we believe that everyone deserves to live in a home they love. 

That’s why we offer beautiful manufactured homes at affordable prices. And not only that – when you choose to live in one of our communities, you get access to all the amenities and security that community life has to offer! 

So stop worrying that you’ll be stuck renting for the rest of your life. Contact us today to take the next step toward your dream home. 

Not sure if you’re ready to take the plunge into manufactured home ownership? No pressure! Take a moment to browse our current homes for sale and see what catches your eye.

We like to keep our beautiful double-wide homes more affordable than the national average so that everyone can have the chance to be a homeowner. We also have several elegant single-wide homes that are significantly longer than a typical single – perfect to kick back and relax in! As always, just let us know if you have any questions.