55+ and active adult living

55+ Communities in Northeast Florida: 2026 Guide by County

Joey Larsen, a REALTOR® with La Rosa Realty North Florida (Retire Me To Florida) and a Seniors Real Estate Specialist® (SRES®), helps buyers compare the age-restricted 55+ communities around Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra and Palm Coast. This guide lists the 55+ communities in St. Johns, Duval, Nassau, Clay and Flagler counties, with asking prices, HOA dues and CDD fees from Joey's review of active MLS listings in October 2026.

By Joey Larsen, REALTOR® with La Rosa Realty North Florida. Updated October 2026.

• What makes it 55+
• St. Johns
• Duval
• Nassau
• Clay
• Flagler
• Not really 55+
• HOA and CDD costs
• Rules to read
• How Joey helps
• Questions

Listing figures: realMLS active listings flagged as senior communities, October 8, 2026, reviewed by Joey Larsen. Builder prices and status: builder websites, October 20, 2026.

What makes a community 55+?

A 55+ community is a neighborhood of privately owned homes, villas or condos where the deed restrictions limit who can live there by age. Under the federal Housing for Older Persons Act (HOPA), at least 80% of the occupied homes must have at least one resident who is 55 or older, and the community must publish policies showing it intends to be 55+ and verify residents' ages. Each community then adds its own rules in its recorded declaration. Del Webb communities, for example, generally require at least one resident 55 or older and don't allow anyone under 19 to live there permanently.

A 55+ community is different from senior living. You own your home, there's no entrance fee and no care is included. Continuing-care retirement communities (CCRCs), assisted living and memory care are separate, licensed options with entrance fees or monthly service fees, such as Cypress Village near Mayo Clinic, Fleet Landing in Atlantic Beach, Westminster Woods on Julington Creek and Vicar's Landing in Ponte Vedra Beach.

55+ communities in St. Johns County

St. Johns County has the most 55+ communities in the region, from Nocatee and RiverTown in the north to World Golf Village, SilverLeaf and St. Augustine.

55+ communities in Duval County (Jacksonville)

Jacksonville's 55+ communities sit mostly on the Southside, close to Mayo Clinic, St. Johns Town Center and I-295.

55+ communities in Nassau County

Nassau County's 55+ option is in Wildlight, near I-95 and the Amelia Island area.

55+ communities in Clay County

Clay County's 55+ communities are in Green Cove Springs and Middleburg, west of the St. Johns River.

55+ communities in Flagler County (Palm Coast)

Flagler County has the most new 55+ activity south of St. Augustine, with four communities selling in Palm Coast and Del Webb opening near Flagler Beach in 2027.

Prices are asking prices of active listings in realMLS on October 8, 2026, not sale prices. HOA and CDD figures are the typical amounts entered on those listings; they vary by lot and phase, so confirm them for the exact home. "New" means builder inventory; "resale" means owner listings. Communities with no active listing that day show "No listings."

What do HOA dues and CDD fees cost in 55+ communities?

In Northeast Florida, the monthly cost of a 55+ home has two parts that are easy to mix up. HOA dues pay for the clubhouse, gate, pools and often lawn care. A Community Development District (CDD) assessment, common in newer communities, appears on the property tax bill and pays for the roads, utilities and amenities that were built with the community. Compare the two together, because a low HOA can sit next to a high CDD.

• Highest dues: Stillwater's HOA is $711 a month, and its CDD adds about $2,400 to $3,700 a year, for roughly $900 to $1,000 a month combined.
• Low HOA, high CDD: Reverie at TrailMark's HOA is only about $180 to $384 a year, but its CDD runs about $4,100 to $4,800 a year.
• No CDD on listings: Reverie at SilverLeaf, Cascades at World Golf Village, Sweetwater by Del Webb and SeaGate's Palm Coast communities.
• Layered condo dues: Sweetwater condo and carriage-home owners pay the master HOA of about $275 a month plus a sub-association fee, up to about $700 a month for the Sandpiper Village condos.

Ask for the exact HOA budget and the CDD line on the current tax bill for the specific home before you make an offer.

What rules should you read before buying in a 55+ community?

• Who can live there. Most communities require at least one owner or resident 55 or older and set a minimum age, often 19, for anyone else who lives there full time.
• Grandkids and guests. Communities limit how long younger guests can stay and when they can use the pool or clubhouse. Sweetwater by Del Webb, for example, lets children under 19 use the pools from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a resident.
• Renting it out. Many communities set a minimum lease length; Sweetwater requires 12 months. If you might rent the home later, read the leasing rules first.
• What the dues cover. Some dues include lawn care, exterior maintenance, internet or building insurance; others cover only the clubhouse and gate. Two communities with the same monthly dues can be very different deals.
• Who's still building. In communities that are still selling new homes, the builder may control the HOA board, and amenities may not be finished yet.

Which communities look 55+ but aren't age-restricted?

Some communities are marketed to active adults but have no age restriction, so younger families can buy there too:

• Not age-restricted: Haven at Palm Valley (Toll Brothers, Ponte Vedra), Bellflower at Wildlight, The Landings at St. Johns (the all-ages neighbor of Del Webb Saint Johns), Huntington at Hunter's Ridge (age-targeted, not age-restricted), Grand Haven and Plantation Bay.
• Confirm before you buy: Lakeview at Tributary in Yulee (the developer calls it 55+, but Lennar markets homes there to all ages and to buyers 55+) and Freedom at Sawmill Branch in Palm Coast (D.R. Horton says it "prioritizes" 55+ residents). Ask for the recorded declaration.
• Coming later: Kolter's Radiance community in Flagler County plans 55+ neighborhoods, but none were named or selling as of October 2026.

How does Joey Larsen help 55+ buyers in Northeast Florida?

• Narrows the list before you visit. Joey compares the communities that fit your budget, the drive to doctors and family, and the amenities you'll actually use, so a trip covers the few that matter.
• Puts the full monthly cost side by side. HOA dues, CDD assessments, property taxes and insurance for each home you're considering, not just the price.
• Reads the rules with you. Age, guest and leasing rules, and what the dues cover, before you make an offer.
• Compares new and resale. Builder incentives on new homes against resales that are already finished and landscaped, often for less.
• Has done it for clients. Recent clients include a retiree from South Carolina who bought in Sweetwater by Del Webb in Jacksonville. Joey holds the SRES® designation and the MRP certification and is a U.S. Army veteran.

Moving to St. Augustine or St. Johns County? See Realtor for Retirees Moving to St. Augustine & St. Johns County for taxes, the homestead exemption, flood insurance and healthcare. More about Joey Larsen.

Questions about 55+ communities in Northeast Florida