Mobile Home Lot Rent vs Buy Calculator
Mobile home park lot rent has risen 5-10% annually for years. Compare renting a pad vs buying private land + placing your home over a 10-year horizon.
| Renting | |
| Total lot rent over period | — |
| Year-N rent / month | — |
| Buying | |
| Land + setup | — |
| Total property tax | — |
| Land appreciation gain | — |
| Net cost of buying | — |
| Better option | — |
Mobile home park (MHP) lot rent has risen 5-10% annually as institutional investors have rolled up the industry. Many tenants now face 6-8% annual rent increases with no rent control protection. Buying a small parcel and placing your home on private land trades upfront cost (land + setup) for long-term cost protection plus equity appreciation.
Lot Rent Inflation
Median US mobile home lot rent rose from $300 in 2010 to $550-700 in 2024-2025 in many markets — 5-9% annual growth, far exceeding wage growth. Institutional MHP owners (Equity LifeStyle, Sun Communities, Yes Communities) typically push rents 5-7% annually. Some markets (FL, AZ) have seen double-digit increases.
Buying Land Trade-Offs
Upfront: land ($15K-$80K depending on location and acreage) + setup ($15K-$60K — septic, well, electric, foundation, transport). Ongoing: property tax (lower than rent), homeowners insurance, your own maintenance. Upside: equity in land that appreciates 2-4% annually plus protection from rent inflation.
Zoning Reality
Many counties restrict mobile homes on private land. Check zoning before buying: (1) minimum lot size (often 5+ acres for mobile), (2) age restrictions (no homes pre-1976 — pre-HUD code), (3) skirting/foundation requirements, (4) setback requirements. Some jurisdictions ban mobile homes outright on residential-zoned land.
Last updated May 2026. Sources: U.S. Census Manufactured Housing Survey, Manufactured Housing Institute.