by Robert Borges on April 13, 2023
With the recent report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) stating that baby boomers have officially surpassed millennials as today’s largest homebuyer generation, we thought we’d spotlight some of the year’s top 55-plus communities. A haven for boomers, age-restricted communities offer substantial benefits for seniors and older adults.
With amenities and homes specifically designed for residents 55 and over, some of the nation’s top builders have gone all in on providing accommodations that cater to a comfortable, low-maintenance, and socially engaged lifestyle for retirees and active adults.
Hand-picked from PCR’s most popular lifestyle communities of 2023, here are some of those communities that are exclusive to 55+ homebuyers.
In no particular order, the 10 most popular 55+ communities of 2023 are:
Amblebrook Gettysburg- Gettysburg, PA
With modestly priced homes starting in the $300,000s, this premier Pennsylvania 55+ community offers homebuyers a full menu of amenities amid Gettysburg’s rich, iconic culture. To incorporate the benefits of well-being across all aspects of daily life, the award-winning age-restricted community features a Welcome Center, Clubhouse, and Wellness and Fitness Campus with expansive indoor and outdoor amenities. Designed to foster an atmosphere of social interaction, the specially designed spaces include a bar and lounge, game room, music café, multipurpose community hall, demonstration kitchen, art studio, and learning center. Just a few miles from downtown Gettysburg, Amblebrook is ideal for active adults looking for a farm-to-table community that embraces the surrounding natural landscape.
K. Hovnanian’s® Four Seasons at Virginia Crossing- Woodbridge, VA
Well known for their next-level 55-plus accommodations and amenities, K. Hovnanian’s® Four Seasons communities are a popular choice for active adults looking for exciting yet low-maintenance living. This particular 55+ community in Virginia offers a laid-back lifestyle with premium amenities and a selection of beautiful easy to maintain villas and condominiums in the heart of Prince William County. Less than 40 minutes to Alexandria and Washington, D.C., Four Seasons at Virginia Crossing is convenient to shopping, dining, services, and major commute routes, and includes a clubhouse, resort-style swimming pool, gazebo, outdoor kitchen, firepit, bocce courts, and miles of walking trails.
K. Hovnanian's® Four Seasons at Terra Lago- Indio, CA
Another K. Hovnanian’s® Four Seasons—this one in beautiful Southern California—Terra Lago is nestled in the Coachella Valley just minutes from Palm Springs. Home to one of the area’s top golfing venues, the 55 and over California community features two exceptional 18-hole courses, an elegant clubhouse and a practice facility and driving range. In addition to affordable homes with open floorplans and spacious designs, the community’s resort-like setting boasts a clubhouse featuring indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a full-service fitness center, tennis, bocce courts, sport court, and an active program of community events and special-interest clubs.
With a variety of single-family, luxury townhomes, and 55+ homes designed to foster a coastal, wellness-centered environment, North Carolina’s Riverlights community offers the energy of a city amid miles of tranquil beauty. Set along the Cape Fear River, it’s a new kind of community that celebrates family, honors nature, and breathes new life into Southern heritage. Whether enjoying a riverfront walk along the boardwalk and dock, gathering with neighbors for an oyster roast, or watching the sunset on the waterfront, there’s a lot to explore in this top 55+ community of 2023. Ideally located less than five miles from historic downtown Wilmington, Riverlights features a bevy of amenities within the community Lake House, as well as public day dock access and riverside boardwalk at Marina Village along the Cape Fear River.
Carolina Gardens by Del Webb- Fuquay-Varina, NC
Del Webb Communities by Pulte Homes are renowned for their active adult 55+ neighborhoods and exceptional amenities. A top 55+ community in North Carolina’s Triangle region, Carolina Gardens provides perks and activities to suit a variety of interests. Anchored by an expansive 20,500 square-foot clubhouse, residents can stay active and healthy with state-of-the-art equipment in the fitness center, swim laps or relax at the indoor and outdoor swimming pools, hone artistic skills at the craft studio, and enjoy friendly competition at the tennis, pickleball, and bocce courts. The community also has miles of walking trails, community gardens, lifestyle gathering areas, and a dog park.
Latitude Margaritaville Daytona Beach- Daytona Beach, FL
For many, nothing epitomizes the laid-back retirement lifestyle quite like Minto’s Latitude Margaritaville communities. Designed for active adults 55 and older, the Jimmy Buffet beach vibes are palpable—and residents are on holiday 24/7/365 at Latitude Margaritaville Daytona Beach. Among the aptly-named amenities within this Florida 55+ community are the Latitude Town Square, Fins Up! Fitness Center, Bandshell with live entertainment, Latitude Bar & Chill restaurant, Paradise Pool, Changes in Attitude Bar, and Barkaritaville Dog Park. The low-maintenance lifestyle is capped by the single-family homes, villas, and Conch Cottages featuring Key West-style architecture, energy-efficient designs, and premium finishes.
Cresswind Charleston- Summerville, SC
In this popular 55-plus community, Cresswind Charleston brings Kolter’s award-winning Cresswind active adult lifestyle to South Carolina’s natural, Lowcountry setting. Gated and age-restricted within the thriving community of The Ponds, Cresswind Charleston residents have exclusive access to a 12,000-square-foot clubhouse. They enjoy pickleball and tennis, participate in activities at the event lawn and amphitheater, enrich their lives with cooking and yoga classes, nurture their talent in the art room, play pool, take a dip in the resort-style pool, fish or kayak, and stay fit and healthy at a well-equipped fitness center. As you can see, Cresswind communities know how to put the “active” in active adult lifestyle!
Trilogy Valor is a 55+ resort-style active adult community located in the burgeoning small town of Kuna, ID. For those looking to retire in the west, this age-restricted community in Idaho’s Treasure Valley is just 25 minutes outside the capital city of Boise, which Forbes named a “Best Place to Retire” and Business Insider named “Most Moved-to City.” A nature lover's paradise, the area is full of parks, wildlife and trail systems including the 25-mile Boise River Greenbelt. The nearby Sawtooth Mountains is an ideal hiking spot, and Idaho’s famous Snake River offers opportunities for fishing, kayaking, and swimming. Developed by Shea Homes, Trilogy communities provide amenities specific to 55+ adults, with Kuna’s resort club offering a fitness center, swimming pools, pickleball, café & bar, event and lounge areas, and more.
Heritage Shores- Bridgeville, DE
Heading back over to the eastern part of the country, Heritage Shores is an award-winning 55+ community ideally located between the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay. Retirees and residents over the age of 55 enjoy the convenience of an Eastern Shore location with a year-round resort lifestyle and Delaware tax savings. Just minutes from the Delaware shore and within proximity to Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., members of the community have access to a 28,000 square foot clubhouse, a health and wellness center, swimming pools, tennis, and three restaurants with a variety of cuisines.
Colonial Heritage- Williamsburg, VA
Located minutes from Colonial Williamsburg and the many cultural and historical attractions of eastern Virginia's coastal region, Colonial Heritage is a remarkable 55-plus community offering residents an unsurpassed lifestyle that blends city conveniences with small-town charm, low real estate taxes and truly beautiful surroundings. Finely crafted Lennar homes complement an award-winning amenity package to make this one of Virginia's premier golf communities for active adults age 55 and better. With a spacious clubhouse, a deluxe athletic club, indoor and outdoor pools and a community-oriented activities program, residents of this thriving community enjoy an active social calendar with a year-round schedule of events.
