Research Alert: July 7, 2025

Geographic and Demographic Correlates of Living in Manufactured Homes: Implications for Health

Manufactured homes (formerly known as mobile homes) can provide an affordable housing option, especially in places with few other options. However, manufactured homes are associated with poorer health outcomes and are less well equipped to protect their residents from the effects of natural disasters than more permanent housing structures. This brief examines rates of living in manufactured homes by rural and urban location, as well as rates among rural residents by region and socio-demographic characteristics. It also examines differences in crowded housing, housing quality, and housing cost burden by manufactured vs. more permanent housing structures.

Key Findings:

• Living in a manufactured home was over three times more common in rural areas than urban (12.7% vs. 4.0%).
• Among rural residents, rates of living in manufactured homes differed by geographic location, with rates ranging from 6.4% in the West North Central to 21.3% in the South Atlantic states.
• Rates of living in manufactured homes were also higher among rural residents living in poverty (20.7%), rural residents with a disability (15.0%), and among rural residents who are Hispanic (19.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (18.3%), or Black (17.7%).
• Living in a manufactured home was associated with reduced access to kitchen and plumbing amenities overall (1.4% vs. 0.9%) and among rural residents (1.6% vs. 1.2%).
• Manufactured home residents had higher rates of crowded housing than residents in more permanent housing structures (5.2% vs. 3.3%) and crowded housing among manufactured home residents was higher for rural residents than urban (4.1% vs. 2.0%).

Additional Resources of Interest:

• More FORHP-funded research on Social determinants of health
• More information about the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center