Many factors make Delaware a popular place to retire, including affordable homes, low taxes, a moderate climate, and many outdoor recreation opportunities.
Residents over 60 and retirees get great tax benefits, including paying less in income tax, tax exclusions, and homeowner rebates. And while Delaware is overall slightly more expensive than the national average, no sales tax keeps prices lower and residents of the Dover area actually have lower than average home prices and cost of living.
As the capital of Delaware, Dover offers homeowners the opportunity to enjoy the rich history of the state, including museums like the Briggs Museum of American Art and the First State Heritage Park.
In addition to the Atlantic beaches about an hour south of Dover, residents of the area also enjoy the Delaware Bay beaches and outdoor recreation opportunities. The Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge offers some of the best birding on the Delmarva Peninsula, while other parks and wildlife areas provide wonderful hiking and walking trails and boat launches.
Delaware has 34 active adult communities, although most are either clustered in the north near Wilmington or the south near the Atlantic beaches. The Dover area, in the central part of the state, includes seven 55+ communities.
Here are three great communities in the Dover area.
Noble’s Pond – Dover
Mid $200s – High $300s
Noble’s Pond is the largest active adult community in the Dover area, with 800 single-family and attached homes. Regal Homes began construction in 2007, and still offers new homes in a variety of models.
Because of the great variety of models and styles, homeowners can find almost anything to suit their needs. The smallest attached homes are just 1,100 square feet with two bedrooms and two baths, while the largest single-family home is 2,500 square feet with three bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths.
Although large, Noble’s Pond seeks to feel like a quaint community where neighbors sit on their front porches and enjoy getting to know each other. The community offers maintenance-free living, meaning residents don’t have to worry about lawn care or snow removal. They can also enjoy being outside in the gardens and walking trails, on the putting green or bocce ball court, or in the outdoor pool and patio.
The large clubhouse, called The Point, includes a ballroom, social spaces, and exercise room, computer center, game room, and library. The community is just minutes from shopping centers along Route 13 and fifteen minutes from downtown Dover.
Village of Eastridge – Smyrna
Mid $200s – High $200s
For prospective homebuyers looking for a new, custom home in the Dover area, the Village at Eastridge offers single family homes in seven different models.
Ranging from 1,350 to 1,950, the homes can include one to three bedrooms and two to three bathrooms. Residents can choose a second story for additional bedrooms or loft space, vaulted ceilings in the great room, hardwood floors, and granite countertops. When complete, the community will include 189 homes.
Residents can enjoy getting to know their neighbors at the clubhouse, which includes an exercise room and social space. Surrounded by greenspace, residents can also enjoy bocce ball courts, horseshoe pits, and walking trails.
Golf courses and country clubs and multiple wildlife areas are also nearby. Located halfway between Smyrna and Dover, homeowners have easy access to historic main streets of both towns, plus shopping opportunities at nearby malls.
Champions’ Club – Magnolia
Mid $200s – High $300s
Champions’ Club is a great mid-sized community for those over 55 who love staying active. It includes an exercise room in the 6,900 square-foot clubhouse, tennis courts, walking trails, and an outdoor pool, plus weight training classes and an exercise group. The community also backs up to the Jonathan’s Landing Golf Course, a championship 18-hole public course.
The clubhouse also includes many spaces for socializing and spending free time, including a great room, lounge, billiard room, and card room. Residents get to know each other through established clubs and activities, like knitting and quilting groups, canasta and Mahjong, and happy hours and movie nights.
The single-family homes in Champions’ Club range in size from 1,200 to 2,500 square feet, suiting many different needs. Larger homes are two-stories with up to four bedrooms and three baths, while smaller homes are easy to maneuver single-story homes with two bedrooms and two baths.
