Compared with the nation as a whole, Florida is a state of home owners. The share of Florida's non-Hispanic whites who are home owners is 20 percentage points higher than that for the nation. Although the difference is not as great for Hispanic and black Floridians, their share also are higher. Home ownership is generally highest among all three groups in north Florida and the northern portion of the peninsula. Alachua County (Gainesville) and Leon County (Tallahassee) have low percentages of home ownership since both have huge college student populations.
Mobile homes are prevalent in many rural counties, both in north Florida and on the peninsula. They have even become very popular in several urban counties, notably Manatee County (Bradenton), where over 20 percent of the housing units are mobile homes. Zoning regulations in some parts of extreme southern Florida, an area vulnerable to hurricanes, restrict the use of mobile homes.
