At the nation’s most innovative active adult communities, residents can experience the ultimate luxury in modern and engaging retirement living. From groundbreaking technical trends like smart home features to social trends like wellness-centered amenities, some developers use modern innovations to offer unique retirement communities.
Innovation matters in the 55+ housing market. Without it, every community would be a cookie-cutter copy of the next community down the street. Some forward-thinking communities have redefined retirement living with innovative features, cutting-edge designs, and vibrant social programming.
So which communities have emerged at the forefront of the resident experience? We’re highlighting some of the most innovative 55+ and active adult communities in the country.
1. Sustainability & Eco-Friendly Living
Climate-conscious retirees can find communities that support their values of sustainability and eco-friendly living. Eco-friendly innovations in community development provide homebuyers options for energy-efficient homes, nature-sustaining developments, and green communities. Active adult community developers have even created homes resistant to natural disasters, providing ground-breaking homes with peace of mind.
Babcock Ranch – Punta Gorda, FL
High $300ks – Low $800ks
Located about 45 minutes northeast of Fort Myers, Babcock Ranch revolutionized the market by becoming North America’s first solar-powered community. Utilizing 870 acres of high-tech solar panels, the community self-sustains its power needs with sunlight alone. The renewable energy generated exceeds the total amount the town consumes, including the resort-style amenity centers.
Within the master-planned community of Babcock Ranch, homebuyers can find the age-restricted community Regency at Babcock Ranch. Interested home buyers can choose between single-family and attached homes ranging from 1,529 to 3,310 square feet. The low-maintenance homes are constructed to withstand hurricanes, with features that hold up in 150 mph winds. Regency at Babcock Ranch also includes plenty of amenities, including plenty of outdoor greenspaces and walking trails to enjoy nature.
Earthaven Ecovillage – Black Mountain, NC
Those invested in living a highly sustainable lifestyle should take a close look at Earthaven Ecovillage. This eco-frinedly community is located in the mountains of North Carolina within 45 minutes of Asheville. Residents of Earthaven Ecovillage take eco-living to the next level. The community has on-site farms and livestock, a wasteless permaculture lifestyle, natural building materials, and power supplied completely by renewable resources.
Residents at the Ecovillage live in a tight-knit community that supports a well-integrated physical and social lifestyle. This is thanks to classes, villager-owned businesses, and holistic medicine. With timber cultivated on 329 acres of land, local water collection, and organic-grown produce, homeowners can attune themselves with nature.
2. Lifestyle & Entertainment-Focused Communities
While some may envision innovations in an active adult community as purely technology-based, some communities strive to invent new ways to stay entertained. Residents can take advantage of exciting amenities, niche clubs, and exclusive concerts. Many communities employ a full-time lifestyle director dedicated to creating fresh ways for residents to enjoy their life.
Latitude Margaritaville – Daytona Beach, FL
Mid $300ks – Mid $800ks
Latitude Margaritaville encapsulates the laid-back, toes-in-the-sand lifestyle represented in Jimmy Buffett’s famous song. This community offers active adults the chance to live like they’re on a permanent vacation. The community consists of 3,900 single-family and attached homes, giving interested home buyers options in terms of floor plans.
Resort-style amenities make up the heart of Latitude Margaritaville. The rare-to-find amenities include a private beach club, resort-style pool with tiki huts, and a town center with bars, restaurants, and retail. The sought-after location in Daytona Beach puts residents just 20 minutes from the Atlantic Coast.
Sun City Summerlin – Las Vegas, NV
Low $300ks – Low $2Ms
Nestled in the foothills of Red Rock Canyon State Park and offering stunning views of the Vegas Strip, Sun City Summerlin redefines what it means to be entertained in an age-restricted community. Residents experience an abundance of options when it comes to activities with more than 80 clubs, associations, interest groups, and events hosted year-round.
Sun City Summerlin includes four amenity centers each with its own theme. The Sun Shadow’s Clubhouse has an Olympic-sized pool and the Pinnacle Clubhouse which houses the 312-seat Starbright Theatre. The community of 7,779 single-family and attached homes boasts the vibe of a resort within a desert oasis—if desert paradise included three 18-hole golf courses. Residents can also reach the nightlife of Las Vegas within 20 minutes.
3. Health, Wellness & Active Living
The saying goes that health is wealth, a notion that’s even truer for 55+ homebuyers. Active adults should consider age-restricted communities that embrace wellness as a priority, leading to healthier and more social lifestyles for residents. As the understanding of how to extend and improve the quality of life continues to grow, these communities remain on the leading edge of inspiring truly active lifestyles.
VIDA – San Antonio, TX
Active adults looking to foster their outdoor spirit should consider VIDA, one of San Antonio’s fastest-growing communities. VIDA strives to connect its residents with nature by featuring 40 acres of natural green spaces and a two-mile trail called the Madla Greenway. For relaxation, a clubhouse with a resort-style pool is currently under construction.
Also coming to the community is the VIDA Clinic and the University Health Palo Alto Hospital. Interested homebuyers can choose between single-family homes, attached homes, or apartments. The homes come equipped with modern smart home features, such as energy-efficient appliances, smart thermostats, and Ring doorbells.
Sun City Texas – Georgetown, TX
Mid $200ks – Low $1Ms
Sun City Texas includes everything its residents need to stay active both physically and socially. With 86,000 square feet of indoor amenities, active adults can find plenty of opportunities to engage with their community in new and innovative ways. Residents can find their creative side in an arts-and-crafts studio, take an aerobics class in the two-story fitness center, or immerse themselves in the indoor lap pool.
The world-class amenities continue outside with miles of nature trails, community gardens, three championship 18-hole golf courses, and outdoor pavilions used for a variety of social occasions. The sprawling community consists of 9,900 single-family and attached homes that sit just 45 miles north of the cultural hotspot of Austin, Texas.
4. Luxury & Resort-Style Living
Anyone who has stayed in a resort on vacation knows that it can be one of the most relaxing and rejuvenating experiences. Many active adult communities around the country endeavor to capture that feeling and implement it into everyday life for retirees. Developers constantly look for new ways to push the boundaries of luxury and relaxation, culminating in a vacation-like lifestyle for residents.
Robson Ranch – Eloy, AZ
High $200ks – Low $800ks
Robson Ranch is a community of 4,600 single-family and attached homes located one hour south of Phoenix, Arizona. The secluded location of the community makes residents feel as if they’re on a peaceful resort getaway. But luckily the community is still conveniently close to the city and everything it offers. The innovative low-maintenance home designs include highly efficient HVAC systems and top-of-the line appliances.
The thoughtful and expansive amenities include a resort-style pool with lap lanes, 16 pickleball courts, a clubhouse with spaces for diverse activities, and an 18-hole championship golf course. Residents can choose from dozens of clubs and activities to involve themselves in to meet neighbors, exercise their bodies and minds, and, most importantly, have fun.
Laguna Woods Village – Laguna Woods, CA
High $200ks – High $1Ms
Laguna Woods Village offers residents unparalleled luxuries and amenities in a highly sought-after area. The age-community is located in Southern California, one hour southeast of Los Angeles and 10 minutes from Laguna Beach on the Pacific Coast.
Laguna Woods Village brings resort-style living to new heights. This is thanks to amenities such as five swimming pools, a championship 27-hole golf course, pickleball courts, walking trails, multiple clubhouses, and an equestrian center. The community boasts more than 80 floor plans to choose from across its 12,736 single-family, attached, and condominium homes. Residents enjoy a carefree, low-maintenance lifestyle thanks to a homeowners’ association (HOA). The HOA takes care of all landscaping and exterior home maintenance, making life feel like a permanent vacation.
5. Large-Scale, All-Inclusive Communities
One way communities innovate is by building entire towns complete with retail, restaurants, and medical centers so that residents feel completely immersed in their lifestyles. Several age-restricted communities across the country are so large that they constitute one or more zip codes. Developers like Del Webb are constantly innovating and finding new ways to make their communities even better.
Sun City West – Sun City West, AZ
High $100ks – High $900ks
With around 30,000 residents and 16,900 single-family and attached homes, Sun City West can boast as one of the largest 55+ communities in the country. With a lot of residents comes an abundance of amenities. This includes four recreation centers, several indoor and outdoor pools, a mini golf course, a ballroom, arts and fitness studios, and seven golf courses.
Sun City West focuses on creating an immersive community with on-site retail, medical centers, restaurants, theatres, and a library. With so many neighbors, homeowners will have no trouble finding like-minded friends in one of the dozens upon dozens of clubs and activities hosted every week.
Find Your Unique Retirement Community
If you’re ready to take the next step toward finding your ideal 55+ community, the team at 55places.com is here to help. Whether you’re searching for low-maintenance living, resort-style amenities, or a vibrant social atmosphere, our real estate experts can guide you every step of the way. Contact 55places.com today to connect with a knowledgeable agent who understands the unique needs of active adult homebuyers and can help you discover the perfect place to call home.
