Every year, 55places compares 55+ communities across the country to find which ones are the very best. There are several determining factors, such as home prices and value, the number and quality of amenities offered, long-term residents’ happiness, location, the quality of lifestyle, and the variety of home styles offered. After digging into these details and comparing the best of the best, we’ve uncovered the top 55+ communities in the Carolinas.
Here are the Carolinas’ ten best 55+ communities of 2020.
1. Sun City Hilton Head – Bluffton, SC
High $100s – Mid $1Ms
Bluffton’s Sun City Hilton Head also ranks as one of the best 55+ communities in the Carolinas year after year—and for good reason. The gated and age-restricted neighborhood is home to more than 9,000 residences with more being built each month.
There are dozens of floor plans available, and new plans continue to be added to the already impressive lineup. Layouts range from 1,039 square feet all the way up to 3,728 square feet. Plans can have one to five bedrooms, one-and-a-half to five-and-a-half bathrooms, and one- to three-car garages.
Along with its many floor plans, Sun City Hilton Head also features a seemingly endless list of resort-style amenities. The list includes everything from a 45-acre town center and multiple golf courses to dozens of athletic courts and a 20-acre fishing lake.
Request more information about Sun City Hilton Head here.
2. Creekside at Bethpage – Durham, NC
Low $300s – High $500s
Durham’s age-restricted Creekside at Bethpage ranks as one of the Carolinas’ top 55+ communities for several reasons. Located in North Carolina’s popular Research Triangle, the neighborhood is conveniently near a seemingly endless amount of cultural amenities and entertainment options.
Creekside at Bethpage features 650 homes with single-family and attached residences on the market. Potential buyers have plenty of choices when it comes to floor plans with more than a dozen to consider. Plans range from 1,294 to 2,606 square feet with two to three bedrooms, two to three bathrooms, and two- to three-car garages. Several layouts also offer den space.
Amenities within the community include an expansive clubhouse with an arts and crafts studio, a game room, an aerobics and dance studio, and a fitness center. Outdoors, homeowners will find a pool, athletic courts, and walking trails.
Request more information about Creekside at Bethpage here.
3. Lakeside Crossing – Conway, SC
Below $100k – High $100s
The 692-home Lakeside Crossing is another popular active adult community in the Carolinas. The development is both gated and age-restricted with new construction and resale homes for sale. There are four distinct floor plans to consider that vary between 1,397 to 1,907 square feet. Plans have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and one- or two-car garages.
Noteworthy amenities in Lakeside Crossing include a clubhouse, a fitness center, hobby and game rooms, a ballroom, a library, a business center, a catering kitchen, and billiards. There are also a few outdoor amenities for homeowners to enjoy, including several athletic courts, walking and biking trails that wind throughout the property, and scenic lakes and ponds.
Request more information about Lakeside Crossing here.
4. Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head – Hardeeville, SC
Mid $200s – Mid $300s
The expansive Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head consistently ranks as one of the top 55+ communities in the Carolinas. Not only does it exude vacation vibes, it’s located near some of the most popular beaches in the South, and it has a lot to offer residents, from many floor plan choices to a long list of desirable amenities. There are four home collections with almost 20 floor plans available. Homes range from 1,503 to 2564 square feet with two to three bedrooms, two to three-and-a-half bathrooms, and two- or three-car garages.
Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head’s lengthy list of amenities includes a town square with a bandshell for live music performances, an entire retail shopping center, a fitness center, a pet spa, a ballroom, and a business center. There are also many outdoor amenities, including a resort-style pool, poolside bar, tennis, pickleball, and bocce courts.
Request more information about Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head here.
5. Del Webb at Grande Dunes Myrtle Beach – Myrtle Beach, SC
High $200s – High $400s
Del Webb at Grande Dunes Myrtle Beach is part of the master-planned community of Grand Dune. The new development will consist of 524 homes upon final completion and has three home collections available. Floor plans range from 1,656 to 2,656 square feet with two to four bedrooms, two to four bathrooms, and two-car garages.
The community’s amenities will include a clubhouse, indoor and outdoor pools, a fitness center, an arts and crafts studio, and a number of athletic courts and walking trails. Homeowners will also have access to the amenities at Grand Dunes, which include the 25,000 square-foot Ocean Club, two 18-hole golf courses, an on-site restaurant, and an outdoor pool and patio area.
Request more information about Del Webb at Myrtle Beach here.
6. Carolina Preserve – Cary, NC
Low $300s – High $500s
The age-restricted Carolina Preserve is a Del Webb community that features 1,360 single-family and attached homes. The neighborhood is part of the master-planned Amberly development and boasts a wide variety of floor plans that range from 1,217 to 3,500 square feet with two to four bedrooms, two to three-and-a-half bathrooms, and two- or two-and-a-half car garages.
Notable amenities within the 55+ community include a clubhouse, indoor and outdoor pools, a fitness center, arts and crafts studio, a ballroom, a library, athletic courts, and a 15-acre lake. Residents also have access to additional amenities within the Amberly development.
Request more information about Carolina Preserve here.
7. Four Seasons at The Lakes of Cane Bay – Summerville, SC
Low $200s – Mid $500s
Final plans for the age-restricted and gated Four Seasons at The Lakes of Cane Bay community include a total of 800 single-family homes. Potential homeowners can choose from 14 floor plans that range from 1,320 to 2,626 square feet. Homes can have two bedrooms, two to three bathrooms, and two- or three-car garages.
Four Seasons at The Lakes of Cane Bay’s amenities include a clubhouse, a fitness center, indoor and outdoor pools, a boating lake, boat ramps, and walking trails as well as pickleball, bocce, and tennis courts.
Request more information about Four Seasons at The Lakes of Cane Bay here.
8. Del Webb at Cane Bay – Summerville, SC
Low $200s – Low $400s
Del Webb at Cane Bay is another beloved 55+ community in the Charleston area. The gated development has more than a thousand homes with six distinct home collections. Floor plans range from 1,109 to 2,637 square feet with one to four bedrooms, one-and-a-half to four bathrooms, and two- to two-and-a-half-car garages.
Del Webb at Cane Bay’s residents will enjoy several desirable amenities, including a clubhouse, a fitness center, indoor and outdoor pools, an aerobics and dance studio, a ballroom, and an arts and crafts studio. There are also tennis, pickleball, and bocce ball courts as well as horseshoe pits, a dog park, fishing ponds, and walking and biking trails.
Request more information about Del Webb at Cane Bay here.
9. Trilogy Lake Norman – Denver, NC
Low $300s – High $600s
Located 20 minutes out of Charlotte, Trilogy Lake Norman is a gated 55+ community that will feature a total of 1,100 new, single-family homes. There are six home collections for prospective residents to consider with several floor plan options that range from 1,345 to 2,505 square feet with one to three bedrooms, two to three bathrooms, and one- to two-and-a-half-car garages.
Amenities within Trilogy of Lake Norman’s gates include a clubhouse that features a grand living room, a gathering room and lounge, an art studio, a fitness center, and an indoor lap pool. There’s also an on-site restaurant, an outdoor pool, a patio, athletic courts, an event lawn, and walking and biking trails.
Request more information about Trilogy Lake Norman here.
10. Carolina Arbors – Durham, NC
Low $300s – High $600s
The Del Webb community of Carolina Arbors boasts over 1,250 single-family homes and offers homeowners more than a dozen floor plans. Layouts vary from 1,152 to 2,562 square feet with two to four bedrooms, two to four bathrooms, and two- to two-and-a-half car garages.
Amenities at Carolina Arbors include a generously-sized clubhouse with an indoor pool and spa, a fitness center, a lounge, a recreation center, a ballroom, and an aerobics and dance studio. Other amenities on the property include an outdoor pool and patio area, a botanical garden, a pet park, and walking and biking trails as well as tennis, pickleball, and bocce courts.
