Senior Mobile Home Parks

What Is the Difference Between an RV, Mobile Home, and Manufactured Home?

Before we talk about finding the best mobile home park, it’s important to define what RVs, mobile homes, and manufactured homes are and what distinguishes one from the other.

An RV is a recreational vehicle that includes living quarters. It can be a travel trailer, motorhome, pop-up camper, truck camper, or coach. An RV can be a trailer towed behind a car or truck, or it can be a self-propelled vehicle.

Mobile homes and manufactured homes are built in factories and transported to the property site in one piece (for single-wide units) or multiple pieces (for double- or triple-wides). Both may be built on a metal frame or chassis that can be attached to wheels, and they can both be tied down instead of having a permanent foundation.

What Is a Senior Mobile Home Park?

A mobile home park is much like a condominium association, where the common spaces are maintained by the park owners and staff. Tenants often get a small lot to care for as well. Senior mobile home parks have rules about the minimum age of the people who live there. If you’re looking for that kind of retirement community, there are many to choose from, especially in Texas and Florida. You can pick from more than 1,600 mobile home communities in the Sunshine State.

Most parks that offer senior living for people ages 55 and older do not permit those who are younger to live there. The park and its amenities are geared toward older adults and may have noise and usage restrictions. As strict as that sounds, the parks create an environment that is senior-friendly and designed to enhance the quality of life for the people who live in the park. Also remember that mobile home parks can skew high-end, offering upscale designs and proximity to beaches.

A senior RV park is somewhat different from a mobile home park. There aren’t many mobile homes in an RV park. The tenant population in an RV park is usually transient and not staying there for the long haul. RV parks cater to short-term stays such as vacations. In a senior mobile home park, a majority of people who live there do so on a long-term basis.

What Are the Benefits of Living in a Senior Mobile Home Park?

A mobile home park offers a plot of land on which you can put your mobile home. That means you can remain mobile if you like, but residents in senior communities are more likely to remain rooted. Below are some advantages of living in this kind of community.

• Affordability: Senior mobile home parks are often affordable alternatives to single-family homes on your own land. Most tenants pay low rent and low utility bills. Others own the mobile home outright. Mobile homes come in single-, double-, and triple-wide widths, with one bedroom or more. Most lots are small, but they offer enough space for a mobile or manufactured home and a modest yard.
• Cheaper maintenance: Maintenance is often cheaper than with a standard house. Painting, carpet cleaning, fixing windows, and other jobs are handled by maintenance personnel or are less expensive if you’re paying directly for the upkeep.
• Community: Another benefit for older adults is that the community is organized around the needs of seniors. Those who live in parks often like the friendly atmosphere in which neighbors help each other. Older adults develop social connections and a sense of belonging with others in the same age range. By forging connections, they can avoid feelings of loneliness and isolation.
• Amenities: Residents can enjoy the park’s amenities, which often include pools, on-site laundry, recreational facilities, pet-friendliness, activities, security, and a clubhouse or common area.
• Perfect for snowbirds: Mobile home parks make great destinations for older adults who want to escape harsh weather in one area of the country and take up temporary residence in another.
• Benefits for RVers: If you use your RV for traveling, senior mobile home parks are great places to stay. Most have full hookups and access to electricity and potable water. If you live year-round in an RV, mobile home parks often have spaces that allow you to park your RV for months on end.

What Are the Drawbacks of Living in a Senior Mobile Home Park?

As rosy as it all sounds, there are drawbacks to living in this kind of senior community.

• Rules: Mobile home parks usually have rules governing guests, parking, noise, and entertainment. If your grandson wants to stay with you for a lengthy period of time, you love to blast rock ’n’ roll in the late evening, or you like to hang your bathing suits in public view and your park rules don’t allow it, it may be challenging to live there.
• Space limitations: Parks may have cramped yards that your patio furniture doesn’t fit in or you may have to reduce the size of your garden. You may feel you don’t have enough space if you see your neighbor mere feet away while you have guests on your patio.
• Problems repairing mobile homes: It can be frustrating when it comes time to repair a mobile home. Many appliances and their parts don’t adhere to a standardized size or come from one specific company or brand. Your mobile home also may not be energy efficient, so it could be costly to heat and cool. (Newer manufactured homes are less likely to have that problem.)

How Much Does It Cost to Stay in an RV Park or Senior Mobile Home Park?

Prices for RV parks vary based on location, season, amenities, and sales tax. You could pay as little as $30 to $60 per night or $90 to $120 per night if, for example, you’re in Florida during the spring.

Fees at mobile home parks vary significantly depending on the location, view, home size, amenities, and whether you own or rent, but most parks are very affordable.

The average monthly rent at mobile home parks has increased recently. As of 2022, the average rental cost was $633 per month, which remains appealing for anyone on a fixed income.3 Some parks may rent space for $1,000 a month with special amenities such as a gated community, security, and on-site maintenance. Parks in heavily populated or more expensive states, such as California, also often cost more.

Before signing on the dotted line, it may be helpful to know that leases come in two common forms. In the first, the tenant owns the mobile home but rents a space in the mobile home park from the park’s owner. In the other, the tenant rents the landlord-owned mobile home and the landlord-owned land it sits on. In some states, such as Oregon, the law treats the latter type of lease the same as an apartment rental.4

How Much Does It Cost to Purchase a Mobile or Manufactured Home?

Purchasing a mobile home is cheaper than purchasing a free-standing house — by a long shot. The average sale price of a new manufactured home in the U.S. as of September 2023 was less than $120,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.5 Compare that to the average cost of a new house, which was over $500,000. 6

Mobile homes tend to depreciate, and most traditional mortgage lenders don’t offer financing. But if you’re looking to purchase a pre-existing mobile home and you want to drill down on the average price range, it will cost $10,000 to $50,000. A manufactured home ranges in price from about $86,000 to $159,000. 7

How Much Does a Senior Mobile Home Park Stay Cost?

How much you pay to rent depends on the park and your arrangement. For RV owners, rent is often paid online at the time of your reservation. RV owners and temporary residents may pay rent weekly or get a discount for paying in advance.

Lots in senior mobile home parks are typically leased for six, 12, or 24 months. Some states regulate lease lengths. Long-term residents usually have a lease or rental agreement and pay rent monthly. There are a variety of options when it comes to paying rent in an RV park or mobile home park.

Where Can You Find a Senior Mobile Home Park Near You?

You probably can find at least one senior mobile home park in your community. Begin with our Senior Living search tool. We also recommend googling “mobile home parks” or “mobile home communities” and adding your ZIP code. You can research mobile homes for sale on platforms such as Zillow, or find mobile homes for rent on sites such as Apartments.com. You can also use those platforms to learn more about mobile home communities in your area. It likely won’t be very difficult to find a senior living park in your area.