The Top 10 Planned Communities in the US Revealed: Notorious Florida Villages Claim Number 1 Spot
There are more than 500 planned communities in the US, ranging from small, tight-knit neighborhoods to neighborhoods with thousands of residents and multiple zip codes.
The John Burns Research and Consulting team recently released its annual report Top 50 Master Planned Communities list with a well-known Florida community at the top of the list.
A master-planned community (MPC) is a cohesive development that typically has a wide range of housing, often combined with retail and commercial spaces, and lifestyle amenities such as walking trails, parks, a fitness center and a swimming pool.
There are often fees associated with the homeowners association (HOA) for maintenance and access to amenities. MPCs also tend to have consistent themes, branding and marketing.
Amblebrook in Gettysburg, PA, for example, relies heavily on social clubs and classes, many with intellectual interests. Located outside of Atlanta, Serenbe is all about wellness and sustainability.
Every MPC on the list sold more than 360 homes in 2025, with seven selling more than 1,000, a new record in the John Burns survey.
In total, approximately 34,000 MPC homes were sold, a decrease of 4% compared to last year. This is also less than the 39,000 homes sold in the peak year of 2021, when interest rates were at a historic low.
Apart from the sense of community it provides, is an MPC worth buying?
“MPCs offer some predictability in terms of what will be built near your home, while a regular new construction community does not, but those who resist the overreach of HOAs may not like the rules they are subject to with their own home,” says Joel Bernersenior economist at Realtor.com®.
“Those with a keen architectural sense may view MPC homes as something of a cookie-cutter, but they are generally high quality and hold their value well.”
Ranked #1: The Villages of Florida
Number 1 on the list, The Villages in Florida, has made headlines for its apparently wild, swinging ways, although some who live there have debunked the rumors.
The senior community, northwest of Orlando, covers 57 square miles and has more than 100,000 residents who call themselves “villagers.”
It is the largest MPC in the country and offers a wide range of amenities, including more than 4,000 social and specialty clubs, as well as activities such as square dancing, drama, water ballet, belly dancing, precision golf cart driving, cheerleading and tambourine tapping, all for the low price. $204 amenity fee.
Last year, Data from the US Census Bureau revealed that The Villages was the fastest growing metro area in the country, growing 4.7% between 2022 and 2023.
The community’s reputation as a party town is so well known that one NBA legend shared that he would like to retire there.
“The dream scenario is: There’s a place called The Villages. The Villages is a retirement home, but they have the highest rate of STDs. I want to be there,” said Shaquille O’Neal on his podcast. “If I turn 65 and I can’t move anymore, take me to Ocala, Florida. Just drop me off, my boy.”
If The Villages doesn’t appeal to you, there’s Babcock Ranch in Fort Myers, which saw the biggest increase in sales, from 797 to 1,066, an increase of 34%.
The 18,000 hectare MPC runs on solar energy. In 2022, it was hit by Hurricane Ian and emerged unscathed.
“When they were building the community, the number one thing they wanted to make sure it could withstand was hurricanes,” Benjamin Raad by Nicklaus Vancewho lives in the community, Realtor.com told me in December.
MPC lifestyle and amenities
Lifestyle was the most important factor influencing buyer demand.
“Master-planned communities continue to differentiate themselves from traditional neighborhoods through cohesive design strategies that focus on improving residents’ quality of life,” the report says.
Top quality amenities, access to good schools, improved safety, a mixed housing offering that suits different seasons of life, and a built-in sense of community and belonging were the factors buyers most desired.
Florida agent Cara Ameerwho sells in the No. 7-ranked SilverLeaf in Jacksonville, Realtor.com tells that excellent schools were a big draw to the MPC.
“Buyers love the St. Johns County location, which offers a very good quality of life and access to top-notch schools,” she says. “The county is building a brand new K-8 school right in the middle of the community.”
Very important to buyers are accessible outdoor spaces, such as paths and parks. Innovative facilities such as bird sanctuaries, community gardens and skate parks are gaining popularity. One of the most popular amenities in recent years is pickleball, a sport similar to tennis, but with small paddles.
Pickleball has become so trendy that it’s hard to find a newer MPC that doesn’t have multiple courts.
Then there are communities known for their upscale and upscale clientele.
Summerlin from Las Vegas, named after billionaire aviator Howard Hughes‘grandmother Jean Summerlin, maintains strict architectural and design standards. It covers 22,500 acres and features more than 300 parks and 200 miles of hiking, biking, and hiking trails.
This elevated image and lifestyle – not to mention its proximity to Sin City – has attracted such notables as tennis champions Andre Agassiactor Mark Wahlbergsinger Celine Dionand musician Carlos Santana.
“When buyers tour the area, they continually notice how clean, cohesive and luxurious the community feels compared to other parts of the Valley,” said Re/Max Advantage agent Robert Klein tells Realtor.com.
“I recently worked with a couple who were exploring homes in the Las Vegas Valley but ultimately chose Summerlin because of the breathtaking mountain views from their backyard and the proximity to hiking trails and outdoor recreation,” he says.
There are currently 185 listed properties in Summerlin, with a robust median price of $675,000.
Affordability
The next feature that attracted buyers was, no surprise, affordability.
“Affordability remained a major headwind in the housing market in 2025, driven by higher mortgage rates, rising insurance costs and continued construction and regulatory pressures,” the report said.
“Living in an MPC offers the opportunity for access to robust shared facilities and thoughtful community development, but this comes at the expense of individuality and higher costs,” says Berner. “Homes in MPCs tend to be more expensive and subject to higher HOA fees.”
Through coordinated planning and flexible product strategies, MPCs were usually able to overcome affordability challenges.
“Affordability challenges were increasingly addressed through design flexibility and product mix rather than rigid land plans,” the report says.
Builders’ ability to offer incentives such as free upgrades and mortgage interest rate buyouts kept sales going.
Inventory and incentives
Unlike traditional sellers who try to get the most out of their homes, national builders can move to offering a host of incentives to potential buyers, such as special mortgage rates, mortgage interest buyouts, free upgrades, flexible floor plans, prefabricated homes and cheaper finishes.
The Colony, a 2,300-acre master-planned community with 4,000 homes under construction in Bastrop, Texas, is offering attractive deals to buyers — and, as one local agent complained to Realtor.com, it caused the market for existing homes to stagnate.
Inventory was high in 2025, peaking at nearly 3.0 unsold homes per community. This pushed prices down, especially in Sun Belt markets, prompting builders to prioritize sales pace over profit margins, the report said.
Places with the largest inventory include Texas, the Southwest and Florida.
But the report remains optimistic about the future of the MPC.
“Despite increased inventory, which affected even the best-performing MPCs, communities that combined targeted incentive strategies, attractive lifestyle positioning and well-coordinated sales execution performed better,” the report said.
1. The Villages in Florida
Net sales: 3,611
Median price: $360,000
2. Lakewood Ranch in Sarasota, Florida
Net sales: 2,085
Median price: $649,000
3. Cadence in Las Vegas, NV
Net sales: 1,247
Median price: $524,900
4. Babcock Ranch in Fort Myers, Florida
Net sales: 1,066
Median price: $448,510
5. Sunterra in Houston, Texas
Net sales: 1,024
Median price (Katy, TX): $382,990
6. Cane Bay Plantation in Charleston, SC
Net sales: 1,005
Median price: $429,900
7. SilverLeaf in Jacksonville, Florida
Net sales: 1,002
Homes start at $249,000
8. Wellen Park in Sarasota, Florida
Net sales: 992
Homes start at $690,000
9. Summerlin in Las Vegas, NV
Net sales: 962
Median price: $881,900
10. Bridgeland in Houston, Texas
Net turnover: 812
Median price: $519,950
