Manufactured Home vs Site-Built Cost Comparison 2024 - Price Per Square Foot Analysis
Manufactured homes cost up to 53 percent less per square foot than new site-built houses, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau data.
Rob Ripperda
With housing affordability reaching crisis levels across America, manufactured housing continues to provide a proven solution. New Census Bureau data reveals the striking cost advantage that makes home ownership accessible to more families.
The Census Bureau figures show national 2024 prices averaging $78.60 per sq. ft. for single-section and $86.71 per sq. ft. for multi-section manufactured homes. For comparison, a site-built single-family home (land excluded) averaged $168.86 per sq. ft.—more than double the single-section price. The updated annual numbers reiterate HUD-code manufactured housing as the nation’s most affordable path to new-home ownership.
| Home construction type | Avg. $/sq ft (2024) | % savings vs. site-built |
|---|---|---|
| Single-section MH | $78.60 | -53% |
| Multi-section MH | $86.71 | -49% |
| Site-built single-family* | $168.86 | — |
Charts
Use the toggle to switch between current‑year (Nominal) and inflation‑adjusted (Real) prices.
This interactive chart is built off of the US Census Bureau’s Manufactured Housing Survey (MHS) Tables
This interactive chart is built off of the US Census Bureau’s Manufactured Housing Survey (MHS) Tables. Price/Sq. Ft. values have been inflation adjusted to 2014 dollars.
The Census Bureau releases cost and size comparisons for new manufactured homes and new single-family site-built homes for the previous year each June.
Manufactured Housing vs. Multifamily Costs
The Census Bureau does not publish a similar price per structure for multifamily construction but Fannie Mae commissioned a study with The Gordian Group that develops the RS Means construction data service that put the hard costs alone for building a 4-7-story building at $171 a square foot for Dallas, TX in 2019, well before the post-pandemic run up in inflation.
Soft cost inclusion would have pushed that number higher back then and inflation has undoubtedly pushed it higher since.