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Retiring in The Villages, Florida

The largest age-restricted master-planned retirement community in the United States, spanning Sumter, Lake, and Marion counties, with its own golf-cart transportation network.

Part of the The Villages & Lake County region.

Median sale price
$355,000
Golf
Approximately 54 golf courses, a mix of executive/free-to-play and championship courses.
55+ housing
The entire community is age-restricted (55+) — this is its defining characteristic, not an optional section.
Walkability
Village and neighborhood recreation centers are designed as walkable/golf-cart-accessible hubs; the community is connected by roughly 100+ miles of dedicated multi-use golf-cart paths, including cart-only bridges and tunnels, with residents reportedly averaging several thousand miles per year on golf carts.
Nearest airport
Orlando International Airport (MCO) · ~62 mi

The Villages is not a conventional town but a single, unusually large age-restricted (55+) master-planned community that has become its own Census-tracked metro area, spanning Sumter, Lake, and Marion counties. Its metropolitan statistical area (coextensive with Sumter County) was estimated at roughly 154,700 residents in 2024, up from about 129,750 at the 2020 Census; as the "Wildwood-The Villages" metro, it was the nation’s fastest-growing metro area in the 2022–2023 period. Under deed restrictions, at least one resident per home must be 55 or older, and visitors under 18 are limited to roughly 30 days per year. There is no traditional single HOA — governance and infrastructure run instead through numerous Community Development Districts under Florida law, and homeowners typically pay three layered charges beyond county property tax: a bond assessment for original infrastructure, an annual CDD maintenance fee, and a monthly amenity fee. Sitting roughly 30 miles from the Gulf and 60 from the Atlantic, the community has no direct coastal exposure, which keeps insurance costs notably low for Florida — the tradeoff is that beaches are 60–90+ minutes away.

Who The Villages Tends to Fit

  • Retirees who want an age-restricted community with an extremely active, built-in social calendar and thousands of resident-run clubs
  • Golf-cart-centric lifestyle seekers who want to reach shopping, dining, and recreation without driving
  • Buyers prioritizing affordability and low insurance costs relative to coastal Florida
  • Pickleball and recreational-sports enthusiasts — The Villages is a national hub for both

Who May Prefer Somewhere Else

  • Those who want ocean or Gulf beach access as part of daily or weekly life — the coasts are 60–90+ minutes away
  • Buyers who do not want an age-restricted community or its limits on how long younger family members can visit
  • Anyone who wants a single, predictable monthly HOA fee rather than the community’s layered bond, CDD, and amenity-fee structure
  • Those concerned about a still-growing hospital footprint — a second system (AdventHealth) is not expected to open locally until around 2030

Housing Market

Median sale price: $355,000 (as of 2026-07).

The dominant housing type, built and sold by the community’s developer, both new and resale.

Not a significant part of the housing stock; nearly all homes are owner-occupied detached houses or attached villas.

Active and ongoing, expanding southward into newer sections in Sumter and Marion counties. New-construction homes carry a fresh, multi-decade bond payment; resale homes in older sections may already have their bond paid off, lowering monthly costs.

Property Taxes & Homestead

Florida has no state income tax and a statewide average effective property tax rate of roughly 0.78–0.83% of home value, below the national average. The Villages layers three charges atop standard county property tax: a bond assessment (the home’s share of the infrastructure bond that funded its section, repaid over 20–30 years), an annual CDD maintenance assessment (commonly cited around $600–$1,400/year), and a monthly amenity fee (approximately $204/month for new buyers as of early 2026, with many existing owners on lower legacy rates, adjusted annually for CPI).

Standard Florida homestead exemption and Save Our Homes cap apply to permanent Florida residents on their primary residence.

Insurance, Flood & Hurricane Risk

The inland location (no direct coastal or storm-surge exposure) keeps homeowners insurance markedly cheaper than coastal Florida. Sumter County has among the lowest average premiums in the state, roughly $1,620–$2,100/year on a $300,000 dwelling — versus roughly $12,200/year for comparable coverage in coastal Miami-Dade County.

No direct coastal or storm-surge exposure given its inland location, though the region can experience tropical-storm-force winds, heavy rainfall, and tornado spin-offs during active storm seasons.

Most of the community falls in FEMA Zone X (minimal flood hazard); the flat terrain combined with intense rainfall creates localized nuisance-flooding risk that the community manages with an extensive stormwater and retention-pond network. Some individual parcels do carry elevated flood risk, so buyers should check parcel-specific FEMA designations rather than assume community-wide immunity.

HOA, CDD & Condo Fees

No conventional single HOA; governance runs through numerous Community Development Districts under Florida Chapter 190. Homeowners pay a bond assessment, an annual CDD maintenance fee (roughly $600–$1,400/year, varies by district), and a monthly amenity fee (about $204/month for new buyers as of early 2026). Figures are typical ranges from real-estate and buyer-guide sources rather than a single published schedule, since exact amounts vary by district, home vintage, and purchase date.

Healthcare

  • UF Health The Villages Hospital — Also known as UF Health Spanish Plaines Hospital; 315-bed acute-care facility that opened in 2022 after UF Health acquired and rebranded the former Villages Regional Hospital in 2020.

Airports & Transportation

  • Orlando International Airport (MCO) — approximately 62 miles (~80 min drive)

Lifestyle

Approximately 54 golf courses across the community, a mix of executive and championship layouts.

Village and neighborhood recreation centers are designed as walkable/golf-cart-accessible hubs; the community is connected by roughly 100+ miles of dedicated multi-use golf-cart paths, including cart-only bridges and tunnels, with residents reportedly averaging several thousand miles per year on golf carts.

Three historically themed town squares — Spanish Springs, Lake Sumter Landing, and Brownwood Paddock Square — offer walkable dining, shopping, and nightly live entertainment; the community also advertises thousands of resident-organized clubs and social activities.

Pros

  • An unmatched built-in social and recreational infrastructure: roughly 54 golf courses, 130+ recreation centers, and 180+ pickleball courts
  • Low homeowners insurance relative to coastal Florida, thanks to its inland location
  • A dedicated, largely separated golf-cart path network connecting homes to recreation, shopping, and medical offices
  • One of the most affordable major Florida retirement markets on a home-price basis

Drawbacks

  • Strict age restriction with limits on how long younger visitors and family can stay, unsuitable for multigenerational full-time living
  • Layered bond, CDD, and rising CPI-adjusted amenity-fee costs beyond the mortgage and county property tax
  • Sheer size and sprawl (about 32 square miles and growing) mean cross-community trips can involve significant golf-cart or car travel time
  • Beaches are 60–90+ minutes away in either direction
  • The housing market has softened recently, with both Redfin and Zillow reporting year-over-year price declines into 2025–2026

Sources

Last reviewed 2026-09-25.