Even if you haven’t already looked into The Villages community in Florida, you’ve probably heard about the popular active adult community. With a population rivaling many U.S. cities, the massive size of The Villages might not appeal to everyone looking for a quiet place to settle in retirement.
We’ve previously shared everything you need to know about The Villages and dispelled any myths or rumors while keeping readers up-to-date on the community’s latest developments. However, since The Villages may not be right for every retiree, we also researched similar communities nationwide.
These active adult communities across the U.S. are similar to The Villages, whether through their large size, resort-style amenities, or impressive lifestyle offerings designed for an active retirement. From the East Coast to the West, here are some 55+ communities similar to The Villages.
1. On Top of the World Clearwater – Clearwater, FL
Low $100s – Low $400s
Best For: a full social calendar
On Top of the World Clearwater is an ideal location for active adults who enjoy being social. The community features 96 condo buildings with a total of 4,959 units.
Spread across two clubhouses, community members can find various amenities. Indoors, you will find a fitness center, an aerobics studio, billiards, a library, a computer room, a card room, and a poker room. Or take advantage of outdoor amenities and enjoy the Florida weather with a heated outdoor pool, four tennis courts, eight horseshoe pits, twelve shuffleboard courts, lawn bowling, a dog park, a fishing pier, and two golf courses. If you’re looking for a craft-based hobby, you can utilize the community’s woodworking shop, ceramics, lapidary, and arts and crafts studio. Residents are encouraged to join classes, clubs, and activities to build lasting relationships with their neighbors.
The community is in Clearwater, Florida, and only a short drive from everyday shopping and conveniences. Nearby parks, such as Moccasin Lake Nature Park, Northeast Coachman Park, and Cliff Stephens Park, offer residents easy access to nature outside the community.
2. Pelican Preserve – Fort Myers, FL
High $200s – Mid $800s
Best For: a variety of home styles
Pelican Preserve is located near local attractions and daily necessities in Fort Myers, Florida, with Fort Myers Beach close by. Popular among 55+ communities, this golf course community is great for adults who like to stay active and social. With various home models, including condos, carriage houses, attached houses, and single-family homes, residents can find a space that fits their needs from the 2,500 homes.
Residents also have a wide variety of world-class amenities available to them. The Pelican Preserve Golf Club features 27 holes of championship-level golf and a clubhouse with a pro shop, a fitness center with a whirlpool spa, a dining room and bar, and a ballroom.
The community’s indoor amenities include a fitness center, aerobics and dance studio, ceramics and art studio, card room, game room, and movie theater. Outside, residents can enjoy the community’s resort-style pool, lawn bowling, an outdoor amphitheater, a sand beach area, and a 38-acre nature preserve featuring a butterfly garden, garden plots, and a fishing pier.
3. Spruce Creek Country Club – Summerfield, FL
Mid $200s – High $500s
Best For: a variety of floor plans
If you’re looking for active adult living in Central Florida, explore Spruce Creek Country Club. Here, you’ll find a community of 3,250 single-family home models in many sizes.
Residents can easily keep their social calendar full with over 100 clubs and various amenities. Clubs and interest groups range from fitness-focused to those loving travel. The community has three areas where residents can find various amenities: the 32,000-square-foot Horizon Center clubhouse, the 14,000-square-foot Lake Vista Recreation Area clubhouse, and the Peninsula Park Recreation Area. Amenities include three pools, two whirlpool spas, a fitness center, several courts for sports and recreation, ponds, and a nature preserve with walking and biking trails.
4. Latitude Margaritaville – Daytona Beach, FL
High $300s – High $800s
Best For: nightlife
This 55+ community in Daytona Beach is inspired by Jimmy Buffett’s lifestyle and music. Latitude Margaritaville provides a popular option for those interested in a beach-inspired lifestyle and nightlife. Four collections of homes, totaling 3,900 units, are available, each with different models and floor plans.
World-class amenities within the community will keep residents busy and active year-round. The Town Square is the central hub for the community, with live music, entertainment, and dancing happening regularly. There’s also a state-of-the-art fitness center with an aerobics studio and indoor lap pool. The Latitude Bar & Chill Restaurant surrounds the square as well. Residents who enjoy the arts can attend a show at Last Mango Theater.
Outside, there are plenty of options for activity. These amenities include a resort-style pool with beach entry, a poolside bar, tiki huts and cabanas, tennis courts, bocce ball courts, pickleball courts, walking trails, and lawn games.
5. Solivita – Kissimmee, FL
Low $300s – Low $700s
Best For: an expertly planned build
As you ponder where to retire in Central Florida, the gated community of Solivita with 5,900 attached and single-family homes should be on your list of places to consider. The wide variety of home models in different collections ranges from 891 to 2,545 square feet.
Inside the gated community, residents have access to a plethora of resort-style amenities in eight complexes and centers. Featured amenities include outdoor and indoor pools, a fitness center with state-of-the-art equipment and weekly classes, a sun deck, a fireplace piazza, many recreational courts, a dance studio, an art studio, and much more.
Residents will find plenty of dining and entertainment options outside the gated community in Kissimmee. Plus, the community is only an hour from Orlando, where you’ll find many famous attractions.
6. On Top of the World – Ocala, FL
Low $100s – Low $700s
Best For: those who enjoy entertainment
Some active adults may desire amenities and lifestyle options like The Villages but within a smaller community. On Top of the World in Ocala is a popular option for those who want to enjoy a Florida retirement.
With plans for 10,000 single-family and attached homes, this gated 55+ community feels like a large development with desirable amenities. The Circle Square Commons within the community offers daily conveniences such as a continuing education center, a cultural center, a coffee shop, a deli, an ice cream shop, and a town square.
The extensive amenities feature a central recreation center with a restaurant, a 1,500-seat ballroom, and an outdoor pool and whirlpool spa. Residents can also find a craft building and three additional clubhouses with multipurpose rooms, art studios, fitness centers, and indoor and outdoor swimming pools.
The affordable homes for sale include attached villas and detached single-family homes. The attached homes range from about 1,092 to 1,856 square feet, while the single-family homes range from 1,204 to 3,039 square feet.
7. Stone Creek – Ocala, FL
High $200s – High $600s
Best For: a small-town feel
In the Ocala area, you’ll find the gated active adult community Stone Creek. With 3,800 attached and single-family homes planned, residents can search for the model that best meets their needs.
The sense of community created within the gates provides a small-town feel. Combined with the variety of amenities offered, residents will have a full social calendar to keep up their active lifestyles. Featured amenities include billiards, card and craft rooms, a library, a softball field, catch-and-release fishing, walking and biking trails, and tennis, pickleball, and bocce ball courts.
Stone Creek also has a fitness complex with workout equipment, an aerobics studio, a dance studio, an indoor lap pool, and an indoor whirlpool spa. Outside the fitness complex, there’s also an outdoor resort-style pool with beach entry and a whirlpool spa.
8. The Villages of Citrus Hills – Hernando, FL
Mid $200s – Mid $1Ms
Best For: luxurious living
Experience luxury living at The Villages of Citrus Hills with its expansive 10,005 attached and single-family homes. With models ranging from 1,666 to 3,061 square feet, you can choose a home to meet your needs.
There are plenty of amenities available to keep you busy within the community. Golfers can challenge themselves at three 18-hole championship golf courses: Skyview, The Oaks, and The Meadows. For those focused on fitness, the community offers a state-of-the-art fitness center, two racquetball courts, yoga, aerobics, spin rooms, tennis courts, pickleball, basketball, bocce ball courts, and walking trails.
Other amenities include a full-service day spa, an outdoor pool, an indoor lap pool, a whirlpool spa, saunas, steam rooms, a community theatre, billiards, a card room, a media center, and a dog park. The community is located in Hernando, the center of Citrus County. Its surrounding areas offer beaches, state parks, shopping, dining, and cultural attractions.
9. Oak Run – Ocala, FL
Mid $100s – Low $400s
Best For: pool variety
Oak Run is a community featuring plenty of amenities that active adults will enjoy. These include five clubhouses, The Royal Oaks Golf Club, and plenty of indoor and outdoor options. Each of the five clubs offers different amenities, including pools, whirlpool spas, fitness centers, recreation rooms, athletic courts, and sundecks.
The attached and single-family homes in the community come in different models, with multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, and an attached garage. Some homes also include walk-in closets, dens, a covered lanai, and a private pool. Also, Oak Run is only an hour’s drive from Orlando and all of its popular attractions.
10. Kings Point – Sun City Center, FL
Low $100s – Low $400s
Best For: golf cart access to town
Active adults looking for a gated community with easy golf-cart access to town should consider Kings Point in Sun City Center. There are plenty of home models in this community of 5,277 homes, ranging from 800 to almost 2,000 square feet.
Residents will have plenty of amenities to choose from to occupy their time. Whether you want to lounge in their outdoor or indoor pool, exercise in one of their fitness centers, or take in a show at the on-site theater, there’s something for everyone. Other amenities include a bingo hall, billiards, game rooms, arts and crafts rooms, a cyber cafe, a softball field, tennis, shuffleboard, horseshoe, volleyball, pickleball, bocce ball, and basketball courts.
Residents can play at eight golf courses in town. Plus, its central location puts it near Tampa, Orlando, and world-class beaches.
11. Del Webb Sunbridge – St. Cloud, FL
Low $400s – Low $1Ms
Best For: proximity to many golf courses outside the community
Another gated active adult community among retirement villages in Florida is Del Web Sunbridge. With more than 1,300 single-family homes and attached villas planned for construction, you can choose among many different models to find the best fit for you.
Residents will have plenty of top-notch amenities for different activities and even access to their own health and wellness center. Notable features include a zero-entry pool, a whirlpool spa, a fitness center, a movement studio, an arts and crafts studio, a multipurpose room, patios, fire pits, tennis and pickleball courts, and an amphitheater.
Outside the gated community, you can easily access golf courses, shopping, and restaurants in St. Cloud, Florida. Plus, Orlando and its popular attractions are only 30 minutes away.
12. Sun City Hilton Head – Bluffton, SC
High $200s – Low $2Ms
Best For: golfers
A Sun City community worth considering for those who like The Villages is Sun City Hilton Head in Bluffton, South Carolina. This gated 50+ community offers proximity to one of the most popular vacation destinations in the country. It also boasts world-class amenities and conveniences.
The luxury amenities at Sun City Hilton Head center around the 45-acre Village Center, an amenity campus designed to feel like a town square. The southern-style square even features a clocktower surrounded by modern amenities.
The 17,000-square-foot Pinckney Social Hall features a ballroom, and the 16,000-square-foot Magnolia Hall includes a 540-seat performing arts center. Both facilities host lectures, concerts, and events. Regular groups, clubs, and classes also meet in the multipurpose rooms.
Additional amenities include three 18-hole golf courses, two restaurants, two fitness centers, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and a 20-acre fishing lake. Some of the more unique amenities include the two croquet fields, the outdoor fitness trail with exercise stations, and RV storage.
13. Robson Ranch – Denton, TX
High $300s – Low $1Ms
Best For: central location near metropolitan area
The affordable cost of living, world-class amenities, and 40+ age restriction all attract potential homebuyers to Robson Ranch in Denton, Texas. Located about 35 miles northwest of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, this age-restricted community offers a resort-style lifestyle with easy access to everything the Metroplex has to offer.
With 7,200 single-family and attached homes, Robson Ranch may seem small compared to The Villages. However, this spacious community also offers a ballroom, a fitness center, a sports club with indoor and outdoor athletic courts, and a resort-style pool.
Within the community, residents can also find an 18-hole championship golf course, 16 pickleball courts, a tennis complex, a dog park, two restaurants, and a full-service salon. In addition to clubs and activities, the 17,500-square-foot clubhouse at the center of the community also hosts regular dances, performances, guest speakers, and events.
14. Sun City – Sun City, AZ
Below $100k – Low $1Ms
Best For: large community living and expansive amenities
As you continue looking at places like The Villages in other states, 55+ communities in Arizona may become frequent recommendations. Considered the country’s first successful active adult community, Sun City is often compared to The Villages. These age-restricted communities are well-established communities that function like self-contained developments with daily conveniences and abundant amenities.
Sun City includes 27,492 single-family, attached, and condominium homes, and many of the resale homes on the market have been updated with modern features. Potential homebuyers can find affordable homes for sale and benefit from the retirement-friendly Arizona taxes.
The sprawling amenities throughout the development feature 11 golf courses, 7 recreation centers, 19 shopping areas, 30 churches, and even a hospital. Residents enjoy abundant access to athletic courts, fitness centers, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and art studios.
The full social calendar of clubs and classes includes offerings such as piano club, lawn bowling, sportsmen club, leathercraft, ukulele club, and best friends dog club. Residents can easily pursue new hobbies with so many community events and classes.
15. Four Seasons at The Manor – Sun City, AZ
Mid $400s – High $500s
Best For: new builds within a larger community
Four Seasons at The Manor is attractive as a new community with 140 single-family and single-story models. The new community is an extension of Sun City, meaning all residents will have access to the extensive amenities.
Residents have easy access to Sun City, Downtown Phoenix, and Glendale, where they can indulge in plenty of shopping, restaurants, and sightseeing attractions. Other major cities, including Tempe, Mesa, and Scottsdale, are only an hour’s drive away.
16. Sun City West – Sun City West, AZ
High $100s – High $900s
Best For: access to town
Continuing through retirement communities in the Phoenix area is the expansive Sun City West. The 16,900-unit community contains models of attached and single-family homes. Private pools are also available as an upgrade in some houses.
Residents can enjoy outdoor and indoor pools throughout the community. Other amenities include walking trails, state-of-the-art fitness centers, dance studios, tennis courts, mini golf, horseshoes, a softball field, craft rooms, a theater, a greenhouse, and a woodworking shop.
You can also easily travel into town via golf cart and partake in some retail therapy or dine at multiple restaurants and bars throughout Sun City West.
17. Green Valley Recreation – Green Valley, AZ
Below $100k – Mid $1Ms
Best For: neighborhood-inspired living and extensive amenities
As you search for retirement communities like The Villages, consider Green Valley, which offers a conglomerate of 55+ active adult neighborhoods. Green Valley Recreation has 13,200 homes in a wide variety of models, prices, and styles. Even better, there are member-restricted areas that only residents have access to.
With an expansive list of amenities available, residents have unlimited access to all activities throughout the valley. This includes eight championship golf courses and 13 recreation centers with fitness centers, hobby and craft areas, aerobics and dance studios, woodworking shops, and multipurpose rooms.
Within Green Valley Recreation, outdoor amenities include 13 swimming pools, lakes, walking and biking trails, and tennis, pickleball, bocce ball, shuffleboard, and basketball courts.
18. Sun City Anthem – Henderson, NV
High $300s – High $1Ms
Best For: activity near a major city
Located about 20 miles south of Las Vegas, Sun City Anthem in Henderson allows retirees to live an active lifestyle within easy reach of some of the world’s best nightlife, entertainment, and dining. Its elevation at 800 feet above the valley floor means that residents also benefit from cooler temperatures, cleaner air, and less traffic than Downtown Las Vegas.
This Del Webb 55+ community consists of 7,144 single-family, attached, and condominium homes with plenty of modern amenities. The three clubhouses boast over 130,000 square feet of amenities designed for an active lifestyle.
Sought-after community amenities include state-of-the-art fitness centers, indoor and outdoor pools, a 300-seat theater, and even a day spa. The 23,000-square-foot Revere Golf Club hosts two 18-hole golf courses with a restaurant, a pro shop, and practice facilities.
19. Sun City Summerlin – Las Vegas, NV
Low $300s – Mid $1Ms
Best For: access to city and nature
Located in Las Vegas, Sun City Summerlin is an age-restricted 55+ community with 7,779 homes. Within the Spring Mountain Range, the community has 18 home models, all with patios and extra storage space. Some also have outdoor private pools.
Residents can indulge in resort-style amenities found within four clubhouses. They include three golf courses, mini golf, outdoor pools, an indoor pool, whirlpool spas, exercise spaces, sports courts, a softball field, an aerobics studio, a card room, a music room, and a theatre.
The community is just 20 minutes away from the lights and activity of the Las Vegas Strip. Or, if you’re looking to lose yourself in nature, the Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area is just minutes away.
20. Laguna Woods Village – Laguna Woods, CA
High $200s – High $1Ms
Best For: getting involved in clubs
As the largest active adult community on the West Coast, Laguna Woods Village in Southern California allows retirees in The Golden State to live a Villages lifestyle. This gated 55+ community consists of 12,736 single-family, attached, and condominium homes across 2,100 acres.
The world-class amenities include seven clubhouses with multipurpose rooms, art studios, outdoor pools, and exercise rooms. Desirable amenities also include 36 holes of golf, RV storage, equestrian facilities, and an 814-seat theater.
With over 250 clubs, classes, and activities, Laguna Woods Village also compares to The Villages by offering an active lifestyle. Some groups include a film club, a community orchestra, and fellowship groups.
Residents can also appreciate a private bus system that easily transports them throughout the community and Laguna Woods. And when active adults want to enjoy a day at the beach, Laguna Beach is less than a 20-minute drive away.
Learn More About The Villages
What began as a small neighborhood in Central Florida has grown into one of the most popular active adult communities in the world. With plans for 60,000 homes, The Villages also earns the distinction as the largest. An affordable cost of living and retirement-friendly taxes in Florida may draw many retirees to The Sunshine State, but world-class amenities and unmatched conveniences attract residents to The Villages.
With all of this in mind, the answer to the question “Is The Villages a good place to live?” is a resounding “Yes.” Do your research to learn everything about The Villages and determine if it or a similar property is right for you.
Find the Right Active Adult Community for You With 55places
With so many 55+ communities throughout the U.S., finding the right place for you as an active adult is important. If you enjoy The Villages lifestyle but feel it isn’t the right place for you, 55places.com can help you explore some of your options. We’ll connect you with a trusted real estate agent to find the right community similar to The Villages for your needs.
