DISCLAIMER: THE VILLAGES® is a federally registered trademark of Holding Company of The Villages, Inc. This website is not affiliated with, or sponsored by, Holding Company of The Villages, Inc. or its affiliated entities.
Fast Facts:
- Population: 150,000+
- 55+ Community?: Yes
- Gated?: Partially
- Golf: 700 holes+
- Pickleball: 200+ courts
- Recreation Centers: 100+
- Entertainment: Free Nighlty + Ticketed Shows
- Restaurants: 100+
- Home Prices: $200k's – $2 million+
The Villages is a 55+ community located in Central Florida, about an hour northwest of Orlando.
The Villages is home to more than 150,000 people, has more than 700 holes of golf, 200 pickleball courts, 100 recreation centers, 100 swimming pools, more than 3,000 clubs and organizations residents can participate in, an “enrichment academy” to support lifelong learning, more than 100 restaurants, a wide range of shops, grocery stores, and medical offices, free live entertainment on a nightly basis, and to top it off, nearly everything is golf cart accessible.
Yes, The Villages is an incredible place, but I must warn you that it is not for everyone!
Thousands of people buy and move here every year, but thousands more take a close look and decide it's not for them.
I hope the information below helps you decide if it’s the right place for you.
Who Am I and Why Listen to Me?
I'm Ryan Erisman, the author of The Florida Retirement Handbook, and Inside the Bubble: Ultimate Guide to the World's Largest Retirement Community.
More than 50,000 people have purchased one or both of those books which I update almost every year, and I've been researching and writing about The Villages and other Florida retirement communities since 2007, so I know a thing or two that can help shorten your learning curve 😉
My thoughts on The Villages have been published in Vanity Fair, Curbed, The Palm Beach Post, and more.
If you want to be a sponge and read this whole page, be my guest!
Or, if you want to jump to a specific topic that interests you, you can choose one here:
How The Villages Got Started
The story of The Villages began as a humble mobile home park called Orange Blossom Gardens. Harold Schwartz, the visionary behind the community, enlisted the help of his son Gary Morse, and together they transformed the park into a master-planned retirement haven.
In the early 1990's, the name was officially changed to The Villages, and the community has been growing ever since under the guidance of the remaining members of the Morse family.
Today, The Villages is a sprawling golf cart community, with over 150,000 residents. The Villages is typically the best-selling community (retirement or otherwise) anywhere in the country. The community sold an astounding 3,029 new homes in 2023.
How Big is The Villages?
Covering more than 57 square miles, The Villages spans across three counties: Sumter, Lake, and Marion.
Top to bottom, The Villages currently measures about 14 miles long and it is about 5 miles across at its widest point.
One of the best ways for newcomers to get it into their minds how The Villages is laid out is to think of it as a long vertical rectangle with a lot of jagged edges. It’s also important to note that The Villages has pretty much been (and continues to be) developed from north to south, so for the most part, the further south you go, the newer the homes and amenities tend to be.
In addition to thinking of The Villages as a long vertical rectangle, I find that it helps newcomers when they think of The Villages as having four distinct areas:
- Spanish Springs Area: Everything North of County Road 466
- Lake Sumter Landing Area: Everything Between CR 466 and 466-A
- Brownwood Area: Everything Between 466-A and State Road 44
- New and Future Areas: Everything South of State Road 44
Rumors and Scandals
Over the years there have been a handful of books, articles, and documentaries that paint a picture of The Villages as some sort of booze and drug-fueled 24-hour party town.
Presenting a retirement community in this manner probably does a lot to help sell books, get traffic to a website, or sell movie tickets, but it just couldn’t be any further from the truth.
If you're hoping that’s what you’ll find here, I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news. You are going to be sorely disappointed!
The most prevalent rumor is probably the one that says “The Villages has the highest rate of STD's in the country”. You can visit the Florida Department of Health website and see the stats for yourself. If you do that, you’ll learn that Sumter County (the county in which most of The Villages sits) has the lowest rate of STD’s in the entire state of Florida.
But no matter what I or the actual numbers say, word about this stuff really “gets around” (pun intended) because it’s far from what people expect to hear about life in a retirement community. It makes for fun pub or golf course banter among buddies.
Now, just because the STD rumors are untrue, I’m not saying that all of the stories you may hear aren’t true. There have been some real (and true) doozies in the past and I mention a few of those in my book, but stories like these are the exception, not the rule.
Golf Cart Lifestyle
Golf carts are a way of life for most Villagers. Even non-golfers find it more convenient to hop in their golf cart to get around The Villages than in their cars. It’s easier to park a golf cart too, as most of the shopping centers, entertainment venues, town squares and medical facilities are considered “golf cart approved” or “accessible”.
There are companies both in and around The Villages that sell and service carts, companies that rent carts, companies that insure carts, and even companies that provide roadside assistance for golf carts.
Town Squares
A large majority of dining, shopping and entertainment available to residents is concentrated in the town squares.
Spanish Springs
Spanish Springs Town Square opened in 1994 and has a southwest flavor, with adobe-colored shops surrounding a central meeting space, complete with viga-studded walls and a gazebo. Spanish Springs resembles a traditional plaza like one might find in Santa Fe – with the fountains and palm trees adding a Florida twist. Main Street winds around the integrated, mixed-use commercial area, providing access to a variety of shops, restaurants and offices.
Classic car fans congregate in Spanish Springs each month during their “cruise-in” and Villagers turn out for live entertainment nightly. Spanish Springs has free entertainment every night, plus, parades and special celebrations throughout the year, from Cinco de Mayo to Halloween.
Lake Sumter Landing
Lake Sumter Landing Market Square opened in 2004 and combines shops and services and provides an area for performances and community events, but this time with the look and feel of a small seaside village, complete with a waterfront and a lighthouse. There is live entertainment every night, and many special celebrations throughout the year.
Brownwood Paddock Square
Brownwood Paddock Square opened in 2012 and the theme here is “Old World Florida” and takes residents back to a time in the 1800’s when Florida’s cattle hunters and cowboys roamed the state.
Brownwood is home to nightly entertainment, and festivals such as the yearly Strawberry Festival, Blueberry Festival, and more.
One of the most popular weekly events in The Villages has to be the Farmer’s Market hosted at Brownwood Paddock Square. At this market you can find dozens of local vendors selling everything from freshly baked breads, to locally grown organic produce, to hand-made goat’s milk soap, and more.
Sawgrass Grove
The first major dining, entertainment, and recreation spot to open in the new southern part of The Villages is called Sawgrass Grove. Sawgrass Grove is a multi-use area that combines recreation, golf, entertainment, a marketplace, and food in one location.
The Villages developer has said that going forward they are trying to get out of the box that the town square concept put them in. Sawgrass Grove is their first attempt at something different, and based on its early success and popularity, you can count on seeing more like it in the future.
The Ezell Recreation Complex and Clifton Cove Putting Course opened at Sawgrass Grove in 2021. A box car stage and an outdoor entertainment area, McGrady’s Restaurant & Pub, and the Sawgrass Grove Marketplace opened in 2022.
The Marketplace features Frenchy's Wood-Fired (pizza), Willy's Original (smash-burgers, sandwiches and salads), Little Fin (casual seafood), and more.
Eastport
Expected to be completed in 2025, Eastport will combine elements of the town square concept with a regional recreation complex, golf, entertainment, shopping, and dining all into one location.
The focal point will be Central Lake, a 1,000 meter lake that will host dragon boat races and all kinds of other recreation. A waterside stage is also planned for concerts and entertainment. Current plans call for a recreation center with a 20’ high-ceiling gym, indoor and outdoor pickleball, a softball complex, a new hotel, a dog park, tennis and platform tennis courts, an executive golf course, a driving range and teaching academy, and more.
Biggest Golf Community in the World
The Villages has more holes of golf than any other community/facility in the world and at the time of this writing, there are 711 holes of golf in The Villages.
There are now 42 Executive courses in The Villages. These mostly nine-hole courses (Marsh View Pitch & Putt has 18 holes) are primarily par 3's with a few par 4's and the rare par 5 sprinkled in for fun. At least six more executive courses are in the works for the new areas being developed.
These courses are free for residents to play…if you live in The Villages, you're in! You'll pay no greens fees and if you want to walk the course it’s free. But, there is a small fee for golf cart rental. You can also use your own cart and pay a trail fee either daily, semi-annually, or annually.
In addition to the Executive Courses, there are 14 Championship courses in The Villages, the newest being the 18-hole Shallow Creek Golf Club, located in the west part of The Villages, south of 44.
Most of the championship courses have 27 holes, but a few of them only have 18 holes. Residents of The Villages are automatically “members” of the championship courses but they must pay extra to play these courses.
Clubs and Recreation
Nationally accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA), The Villages Recreation Department services 100+ Regional, Village, and Neighborhood recreation centers, 100+ swimming pools, 3,000+ resident lifestyle programs and clubs with a full and part-time staff of over 600 employees and more than 3,000 volunteers.
Most of the activity takes place at the more than 100 recreation centers spread throughout the community.
There are now more than 3,000 recreation department sanctioned clubs and organizations in The Villages.
Whether you are looking for ways to express a personal passion like painting or dancing, searching for a social circle that loves the same card games you do, or just want a reason to stay active during your retirement, there is something for everybody here.
In fact, most residents find more interesting clubs than they could possibly keep up with, so you might actually want to be careful that you don’t overcommit yourself.
Joining a club can be as easy as contacting the club and finding out what steps you need to take to become a member. Be aware though that some clubs are full and/or have waiting lists to get in.
Pickleball
At the 2023 Evening with the Developer event it was stated that The Villages is now home to 241 pickleball courts. That number will surely grow in the years to come. The Villages has been called the “Mecca of Pickleball” and was named the #1 Place to Live for Pickleball by Masters Athlete Magazine. Leagues, tournament and recreational players of all skill levels occupy the community’s courts year-round.
Pickleball clinics are held regularly in The Villages and the community has several pickleball clubs, and certified instructors.
Softball
Baseball might be America’s Pastime, but Softball is The Villages’ Pastime. In 2023 the developer stated that there are more softball games played each year in The Villages than there are baseball games played each year in Major League Baseball.
There are hundreds of teams that compete across The Villages. With that amount of interest, there are leagues and teams open for any skill level. There are highly competitive traveling teams, as well as relaxed leagues that focus more on the social aspects of the game. If you have ever had the desire to play softball, there is a team for you located in The Villages.
Bicycling
In 2014 The League of American Bicyclists awarded The Villages the status of a Silver level Bicycle Friendly Community and in 2018 they upgraded The Villages to Gold level, meaning the community meets specific standards of engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement, evaluation and planning related to cycling. The Villages was the first Senior community to ever be awarded the Bicycle Friendly Community designation.
The Villages has over 100 miles of paved pathways that cyclists share with golf carts and pedestrians. The various bike clubs in The Villages combined have over 900 members, and there are thousands more riders who aren’t members of clubs.
Swimming
The Villages is also a spectacular place for swimmers and anyone who enjoys spending their time by the pool.
With more than 100 pools to choose from, there is no shortage of options. All of the pools throughout the community are temperature controlled to make sure that the water is comfortable for everyone.
The Villages Senior Games
With a focus on fun and participation, The Villages Senior Games take place each year in the spring. Villagers compete in a number of events such as archery, 3-on-3 basketball, billiards, bowling, fencing, golf, pickleball, sand volleyball, swimming, table tennis, track and field, and more.
From there, the top competitors have opportunities to go on and compete at the state and national senior games, and every year Villagers bring home some impressive hardware from those events.
Cost of Living
The Villages has a pretty reasonable cost of living. Right now the Amenities Fee which covers a lot of what I just told you about is $195/month. The amenities fee goes up almost every year, so depending on when you are reading this it might be a little bit higher.
For historical reference, when I published the first edition of my book back in 2008 they were $130 per month.
Your housing costs, property taxes, and insurance will of course vary based on the cost of the home you choose to purchase.
Property taxes will vary depending on what part of The Villages you end up in, but they tend to be lower here than most other parts of the state. For a $400,000 home count on paying around $475 per month.
An additional “non-ad valorem” tax you will likely see on your property tax bill, not included in the figure I just gave you, will be for the CDD bond and maintenance. For a $400,000 home The Villages estimates this to be around $300/month.
I explain more about CDD Bonds, why The Villages has them and so on in my book.
The Villages is about as far away from the coast and the effects of potential hurricanes, homeowner's insurance tends to be lower in this part of Florida than most other places too. The Villages estimates this to be around $155 per month for a $400,000 home.
The Villages has a history of sinkholes, and I always recommend people consider sinkhole insurance which is an additional cost on top of your regular homeowners insurance.
You can read a much more comprehensive breakdown of what it costs to live in The Villages in my book.
Healthcare
One of The Villages founder Harold Schwartz’s last missions was to see a hospital built in the community before he died. He was so confident in the mission that he erected a billboard with a picture of himself pointing to a vacant lot with the words “I’ll live to see The Villages Regional Hospital (TVRH) right here”, and he did.
The Villages Regional Hospital (now called UF Health Spanish Plaines Hospital) opened in July 2002, and Schwartz passed away at the age of 93 on December 22, 2003. Today, it is a 307-bed acute care hospital that has more than tripled in size since opening.
The Villages Health care centers are conveniently located throughout The Villages. This makes it easy for Villagers to get to and from their appointments. Imagine the convenience of having your doctor only a 10- 15 minute golf cart ride away.
If you qualify for Veterans health care benefits, there is a VA Outpatient Clinic in The Villages. The 99,000 square foot facility opened in 2010 and serves thousands of veterans that call The Villages home.
Politics
The Villages has become a popular campaign stop for aspiring candidates, especially Republicans.
While in office, President Trump visited The Villages in October 2019 to give a speech on Medicare, gave a shout out on Twitter in April 2020 to his “friends in The Villages” for how they dealt with the pandemic, and visited again in October 2020 for a campaign speech in the run-up to the 2020 election.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is in The Villages so much I’ve joked that they should start charging him an amenities fee like all the other residents. He has visited countless times for speeches, bill signings, and numerous other events.
While The Villages is considered a Republican stronghold, about 30% of voters in The Villages are registered Democrats.
Here are some other past high-profile visitors:
- George W. Bush
- Mitt Romney
- Paul Ryan
- Sarah Palin
- Mike Huckabee
- Marco Rubio
- Ben Carson
- Mike Pence
- Donald Trump
- Ron DeSantis
Homes for Sale in The Villages
Over the years, The Villages has built a variety of homes styles, or “series” as they typically refer to them, including Patio Villas, Courtyard Villas (this series includes Bungalow Villas and Cabana Villas), Cottage Homes, Verandas (a blend between Courtyard Villas and Designer Homes), Designer Homes, and Premier Homes.
You can see examples of each at TheVillages.com website.
Patio Villas are going to be your smaller, less expensive options and Premier Homes account for the biggest and most expensive. All the other home series fill in the gap.
Construction materials vary between (and sometimes within) each series, with some homes being constructed of frame and vinyl siding, while others are concrete block or pre-cast concrete construction.
The Villages does not have a “model center” per se like a typical community. So what most people do is look online at The Villages website to see where the open houses are and use that as their opportunity to check out the different floorplans.
In addition to new homes, there are always hundreds of resales on the market in The Villages.
Want to Come Check it Out?
One of the most important things you should do when deciding whether to move to The Villages is to take advantage of The Villages Lifestyle Visit. The Villages Lifestyle Preview allows prospective Villagers the opportunity to come live like a Villager for anywhere from 4 to 7 days.
For $99-$199 per night (depending on time of year) The Villages will put you up in one of their fully-furnished homes. Your home will have everything you'd expect from a typical vacation rental and even includes your very own golf cart for getting around The Villages while you are here.
Though I advise you to take advantage of the Lifestyle Preview Program offered by The Villages, sometimes its not enough time to get a good feel for what it might be like living here year round. In that case, you might want to rent a house and check out The Villages for a little while longer.
Check out this article for more information on rentals in The Villages:
When is the best time to visit?
The time from October through April is the busiest time of the year in The Villages. This means a couple of things. For one, it makes it much harder to find a rental. It also means that restaurants, golf courses, and everything else are much more crowded than during the summer and fall.
But, if you plan to live in The Villages full-time in the future, its good to get a sense of just what “crowded” means. It may not seem crowded to you. I’ve heard from people that couldn’t believe how bad it was, and I’ve heard from others who didn’t think it was that bad.
So, bottom line, if you want the best selection and prices, visit from May-September. If you want the best idea of what the busy season is like, visit during the busy season. I know that many of my readers have made it a point to rent during BOTH seasons, just to be sure.
Stay tuned…
If you made it this far, you now know more about The Villages than most.
The Villages is truly a one-of-a-kind retirement community that offers an unparalleled experience for its residents. With its vast array of amenities, diverse housing options, strong community engagement, and commitment to an active lifestyle, The Villages has something for everyone.
It will be exciting to see what the next 20 years hold as The Villages continues to grow and reach new heights of 55+ Florida retirement living.
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