Best master-planned communities in Florida (2026)

How we ranked master-planned communities

We ranked Florida's master-planned communities by new-home sales, the measure used by real estate consultancy RCLCO in the national survey it has run since 1994. The top 10 below use RCLCO's mid-year 2026 figures, as tabulated by Moving to Florida Guide, for sales from January 1 to June 30, 2026. RCLCO counts net new-home contracts reported by each community, and only includes communities built to a single master plan by one developer with a mix of home types, shared amenities and open space.

Sales measure what buyers are choosing, not quality. We add the developer's figures on size, prices and amenities, and Zillow's typical value for the nearest city in August 2026, so you can compare. Six established communities that are no longer in the top 10 follow, because many buyers still compare them.

Florida dominates the national list: RCLCO says Florida communities made up 44% of sales among the country's top 50 in the first half of 2026.

Top-selling master-planned communities in Florida, 2026

Rank	Community	Location	Type	Sales, Jan-Jun 2026	City typical value
1	The Villages	The Villages (Sumter, Lake and Marion counties)	55+ (plus all-ages Middleton)	1,800	$392,083
2	Lakewood Ranch	Manatee and Sarasota counties	All ages	1,064	$585,199
3	Wellen Park	Venice and North Port, Sarasota County	All ages with 55+ sections	727	$301,967
4	Babcock Ranch	Charlotte County, northeast of Fort Myers	All ages	659	n/a
5	SilverLeaf	St. Johns County, west of I-95	All ages with a 55+ section	575	n/a
6	Watersound Origins	Inlet Beach, Walton County	All ages	419	$1,433,150
7	Two Rivers	Wesley Chapel, Pasco County	All ages	356	$400,424
8	Angeline	Land O' Lakes, Pasco County	All ages with an active adult neighborhood	332	$415,778
9	Riverland	Port St. Lucie, St. Lucie County	All ages	308	$384,593
10	RiverTown	St. Johns County, on the St. Johns River	All ages with WaterSong 55+	300	n/a

What counts as a master-planned community

RCLCO's definition is a useful test when a sales office uses the phrase loosely. A true master-planned community is built from one comprehensive plan by a master developer, mixes home types, sizes and prices, and has shared open space and amenities. The best examples add schools, shopping, offices and a town center. RCLCO excludes groups of separate subdivisions that share only a marketing name.

Where Florida's top sellers are

Five of the top 10 are on the Gulf side: Lakewood Ranch, Wellen Park and Babcock Ranch between Sarasota and Fort Myers, and Two Rivers and Angeline north of Tampa. Two are in St. Johns County south of Jacksonville (SilverLeaf and RiverTown), and one each is in Central Florida (The Villages), the Treasure Coast (Riverland) and the Panhandle (Watersound Origins).

All ages or 55+

Only The Villages is mostly age-restricted. Most others are open to all ages but include a 55+ section, such as Brightmore at Wellen Park, Del Webb and Cresswind at Lakewood Ranch and WaterSong at RiverTown.

The top 10 in detail

1. The Villages, The Villages (Sumter, Lake and Marion counties)

The Villages is the top-selling master-planned community in the country, with 3,611 new-home sales in 2025 by RCLCO's count and an estimated 1,800 in the first half of 2026. It is age-restricted apart from Middleton, an all-ages neighborhood that RCLCO says made up about 8% of 2025 sales. The developer puts it at about 57 square miles and more than 150,000 residents, with a sample monthly cost of $383 for its amenity fee and utilities before any mortgage.

2. Lakewood Ranch, Manatee and Sarasota counties

Lakewood Ranch is the country's top-selling multigenerational master-planned community, with 2,085 sales in 2025 and 1,064 in the first half of 2026. Its developer, Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, describes a 35,000-acre community with more than 80,000 residents, 2,645 businesses and over 150 miles of trails. It has its own stewardship district, a special taxing district, so ask what each home pays on its tax bill. Zillow's typical value in Lakewood Ranch was $585,199 in August 2026, down 3.7% on the year. See our Sarasota 55+ guide for its Del Webb and Cresswind sections.

3. Wellen Park, Venice and North Port, Sarasota County

Wellen Park, in the Venice and North Port area, ranked third in Florida with 727 sales in the first half of 2026, up 37% on the year, according to RCLCO. Its site listed neighborhoods from Ashcombe townhomes in the high $200,000s to Everly single-family homes in the high $600,000s and custom homes around $1.1 million, plus Brightmore, its first 55+ neighborhood, with villas from the high $300,000s. Boca Royale inside it is a gated, 1,000-acre golf community.

4. Babcock Ranch, Charlotte County, northeast of Fort Myers

Babcock Ranch had 1,066 sales in 2025, up 34%, and 659 in the first half of 2026. It calls itself America's first solar-powered town, with an 870-acre solar farm. Florida for Boomers describes it as 18,000 acres next to a large wilderness preserve, with prices from the $300,000s to over $2 million. It sits in Charlotte County, where the typical value was $297,268.

5. SilverLeaf, St. Johns County, west of I-95

SilverLeaf, on St. Johns Parkway between CR 210 and SR 16, had 575 sales in the first half of 2026. Its developer says it covers about 11,000 acres, is zoned for 17,600 homes, keeps more than 4,350 acres as preserve and charges no CDD fees, unusual for a Florida community this size. See our SilverLeaf guide.

6. Watersound Origins, Inlet Beach, Walton County

Watersound Origins, near Highway 30-A in Walton County, sold 419 homes in the first half of 2026, sixth in Florida. Its site lists new homes from the $500,000s to over $3 million. It sits in the most expensive market in the top 10: Zillow's typical value in Inlet Beach was $1,433,150 in August 2026.

7. Two Rivers, Wesley Chapel, Pasco County

Two Rivers, in Pasco County north of Tampa, had 356 sales in the first half of 2026. Its site says 11 builders offer homes from the mid-$300,000s to over $1 million. See our Tampa suburbs guide for Wesley Chapel's numbers.

8. Angeline, Land O' Lakes, Pasco County

Angeline, in central Pasco County, sold 332 homes in the first half of 2026. Its developer lists townhomes and single-family homes from the high $200,000s, more than 3,600 acres of green space with over 60% of the land preserved, 70-plus miles of trails and a working farm. It also plans a city center and a 130-acre regional park.

9. Riverland, Port St. Lucie, St. Lucie County

Riverland in Port St. Lucie had 308 sales in the first half of 2026, ninth in Florida. Port St. Lucie's typical value was $384,593 in August 2026. Ask the builder for the current CDD or special district assessment on any lot, and compare it with resales nearby.

10. RiverTown, St. Johns County, on the St. Johns River

RiverTown sold 300 homes in the first half of 2026. Mattamy Homes and Toll Brothers build there, and its site lists townhomes from the mid $200,000s, single-family homes up to the upper $600,000s and WaterSong 55+ homes from the mid $300,000s, with three resort-style pools and river access. See our RiverTown guide.

Established master-planned communities to compare

These communities were not in Florida's top 10 by sales at mid-year 2026, usually because most of their land is sold, but they remain among the most searched.

Nocatee, Ponte Vedra, St. Johns County

Nocatee's developer calls it one of the best-selling master-planned communities in America. Its neighborhoods listed homes from townhomes in the high $300,000s to floorplans from the mid $600,000s in September 2026. The Census Nocatee area had 27,442 residents and a median household income of $141,868. See our Nocatee guide.

Lake Nona, Orlando, Orange County

Lake Nona is a 17-square-mile Tavistock community inside Orlando's city limits, next to Orlando International Airport, with a medical city and town center. Zillow's typical value was $586,269 in Lake Nona Central and $715,622 in Lake Nona South in August 2026. See our Lake Nona guide.

Horizon West, Southwest Orange County

Horizon West, south of Winter Garden, is a series of planned villages in unincorporated Orange County. The Census counted 67,416 residents with a median year built of 2014. Zillow's typical value for ZIP 34787, which covers Winter Garden and part of Horizon West, was $570,875. See our Horizon West guide.

Ave Maria, Collier County, east of Naples

Ave Maria is a planned town inland from Naples. Its developer lists new homes from the low $200,000s to the $800,000s from builders including Pulte, Lennar and CC Homes, and Del Webb Naples from the $400,000s, the lowest entry prices of any community in this guide. The Census Ave Maria area had a median year built of 2015.

Celebration, Osceola County, near Walt Disney World

Celebration is one of Florida's best-known planned towns, begun by Disney, with a walkable downtown. The Census counts 13,667 residents, a median household income of $96,242 and a median year built of 2004, so most homes you can buy there are resales.

FishHawk Ranch, Lithia, Hillsborough County

FishHawk Ranch, southeast of Tampa, is an established master-planned community. The Census FishHawk area had 26,186 residents, a median household income of $135,271 and 80% owner-occupancy. See our FishHawk Ranch guide for its CDD assessments.

Master-planned community questions answered

What is the number one master-planned community in the US?

The Villages, according to RCLCO, which ranked it first nationally in 2025 with 3,611 sales and estimated it would remain first at mid-year 2026. Lakewood Ranch is the top-selling community open to all ages.

What is the 80/20 rule in The Villages?

It is the federal rule for 55+ housing: at least 80% of occupied homes must have at least one resident aged 55 or older, and the community must publish its age policy and verify ages at least every two years under HUD's regulations. Middleton, The Villages' all-ages neighborhood, is not age-restricted. Our 55+ communities guide explains the rules.

What are some new master-planned communities in Florida?

Among the top sellers, Angeline in Land O' Lakes, Two Rivers in Wesley Chapel, Riverland in Port St. Lucie and Watersound Origins in Walton County are newer communities still in early phases, alongside Wellen Park and Babcock Ranch in Southwest Florida.

Where is the nicest most affordable master-planned community?

By published starting prices, Ave Maria (new homes from the low $200,000s), RiverTown (townhomes from the mid $200,000s), Angeline (from the high $200,000s) and Wellen Park (townhomes from the high $200,000s) are the lowest in this guide. Whether a place is nice is personal, so visit and compare CDD and HOA costs.

The hidden costs of master-planned living

CDDs and stewardship districts

Most Florida master-planned communities fund roads, utilities and amenities through a community development district or a similar special district, repaid through an assessment on each home's tax bill, usually over many years. SilverLeaf says it has none; Lakewood Ranch uses a stewardship district. Ask for the exact amount on the parcel. See our Florida CDD fees guide.

HOA and amenity fees

Expect a master association fee plus, in some neighborhoods, a sub-association fee. Gated sections cost more.

Builder incentives and resale competition

New communities compete with their own resales. With Zillow's typical value down in many fast-growing areas, including Lakewood Ranch (down 3.7%) and Wesley Chapel (down 2.8%) in the year to August 2026, compare builder incentives with resale prices before you choose.

The mortgage payment

At the 7.03% average rate (Freddie Mac, September 24, 2026), principal and interest with 10% down is about $2,102 a month on a $350,000 home and $3,515 on Lakewood Ranch's typical $585,199 home. See our new construction guide.

How to choose a master-planned community

Check the build-out stage

Early phases mean construction traffic and promised amenities that may not exist yet. Late phases mean finished amenities but fewer new lots. Ask what is built, what is funded and what is only planned.

Read the district and association documents

Ask for the CDD budget, the bond schedule and the HOA budget and reserves. Our Florida HOA laws guide explains what you can request.

Compare commutes

Many top sellers are on the edge of their metros. Drive to work from the model center at rush hour before you sign.

Compare with golf and gated options

Several communities overlap with our golf communities and gated communities guides.

Common questions

What is the best master-planned community in Florida?+

By new-home sales, The Villages is first, with an estimated 1,800 sales in the first half of 2026, followed by Lakewood Ranch with 1,064, according to RCLCO's mid-year survey. Lakewood Ranch is the top-selling community open to all ages. The best one for you depends on budget, commute and whether you want an age-restricted community.

What is the largest master-planned community in Florida?+

By population, The Villages, which its developer says has more than 150,000 residents across about 57 square miles. By land area, Lakewood Ranch describes itself as a 35,000-plus-acre community with more than 80,000 residents. Babcock Ranch covers about 18,000 acres according to Florida for Boomers.

Do master-planned communities in Florida have CDD fees?+

Most do. A community development district or similar special district pays for roads, utilities and amenities and is repaid through an assessment on each home's property tax bill. SilverLeaf in St. Johns County says it has no CDD, and Lakewood Ranch uses a stewardship district. Always check the non-ad valorem charges on the parcel.

What are the newest master-planned communities in Florida?+

Among 2026's top sellers, Angeline in Land O' Lakes, Two Rivers in Wesley Chapel, Riverland in Port St. Lucie and Watersound Origins in Walton County are in earlier phases, with land still being developed. Angeline's developer plans a city center and a 130-acre regional park.

Which master-planned community in Florida is most affordable?+

Among the communities in this guide, Ave Maria lists new homes from the low $200,000s, RiverTown townhomes from the mid $200,000s, and Angeline and Wellen Park from the high $200,000s. Add CDD and HOA charges to compare the real monthly cost, since they vary widely by neighborhood.

Is The Villages a master-planned community?+

Yes. RCLCO ranks it as the top-selling master-planned community in the country, with 3,611 new-home sales in 2025. It is mostly age-restricted to households with someone 55 or older, apart from its all-ages Middleton neighborhood, which RCLCO says made up about 8% of 2025 sales.

Best master-planned communities in Florida, ranked by 2026 sales

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