Home sweet mobile home? Benefits and challenges of mobile home ownership in rural Pennsylvania

Over half the mobile homes in the United States are located in rural America, where they are a popular but understudied alternative to site-built houses. Using tax assessment and mail survey data gathered for mobile homes in several rural Pennsylvania counties, we show that residents are overwhelmingly satisfied with mobile home life, but that they face unique challenges related to their housing choice. Survey data reveal issues of land tenure and financing, social stigma, and hidden costs of mobile home ownership, and demonstrate that mobile homes provide both opportunities and challenges for rural communities.