Mobile home parks in Hillsborough County: what to know before you buy or move in

Hillsborough County has more licensed mobile home parks than any other county in Florida: 411 parks with about 23,900 spaces, according to the Florida Department of Health's January 2026 list. Many are small. About 120 have a Tampa mailing address, though that often means unincorporated county land, and the rest cluster around Plant City, Thonotosassa, Ruskin, Gibsonton, Seffner and Riverview.

Where the parks are

Most Hillsborough parks are small: only 61 of the 411 have 100 spaces or more. Thonotosassa, Seffner, Gibsonton and Dover are full of small parks, while the bigger communities are around Plant City, Riverview and Ruskin.

Source: Florida Department of Health list of licensed mobile home parks, January 2026. Grouped by the park's mailing city, which can include unincorporated areas around the city.

Every mobile home is in Zone A

Hillsborough County places every mobile and manufactured home in evacuation Zone A, even far inland. Zone A is the first to leave when a storm comes. For Hurricane Milton in 2024, the county ordered all mobile and manufactured homes countywide to evacuate. The county also expanded its evacuation zones for 2026 using new storm surge data, so check the current map even if you looked last year.

Flooding near the bay

In 2024, Helene's flood water reached mobile home communities in Gibsonton, and canal neighborhoods in Apollo Beach saw storm surge. Parks near the bay and the rivers in south county carry more flood risk than parks out toward Plant City. Ask the park about past flooding and look up the flood zone yourself.

When a park is sold

Land around Tampa is valuable, and some Hillsborough parks have been sold for new uses, leaving residents to find a new place. In Florida, a park owner who changes the use of the land must give residents at least six months of written notice, and the state's mobile home relocation program can help with moving costs, up to $3,000 for a single-section home or $6,000 for a multisection home.

• Ask who owns the park and whether the land is for sale or being rezoned. County zoning records are public.
• A park with a long-term owner and a clear prospectus is a safer bet than one that just changed hands.

Permits depend on the address

Hillsborough County Development Services permits mobile home setups in unincorporated areas, and keeps separate checklists for a home set in a park and a home set on private land. The City of Tampa, Plant City and Temple Terrace handle their own permits. A licensed installer has to pull the setup permit.

Before you sign

1. Get the park rules, the age policy if it is a 55+ park, and the approval process in writing.
2. Ask for the prospectus and the lot rental agreement and read them before you sign.
3. Ask who owns the park, how long they have owned it, and the rent history for the last three to five years.
4. Check the flood zone and the 2026 evacuation map.
5. If you are bringing a home, get the park's rules on year, size and add-ons in writing.