55+ retirement communities

Age-restricted communities are housing options where residence is limited to people over a certain age. Depending on the community, residents might live in a single-family home, a condo, a townhouse, or an apartment. Whether they rent or own their residence will depend on each individual community.

Best 55+ Retirement Communities in Charlotte

  1. Cresswind Charlotte | Kolter Homes – Top-Rate Active Adult Community
  1. Southminster – Highly-rated Charlotte Community for 55+
  1. Brightmore of South Charlotte – Great Amenities for Seniors
  1. Shads Landing Gracious Retirement Living – Comfortable Gated Retirement Community
  1. Carmel Place – Charlotte 55+ Retirement Neighborhood
  1. Legacy Heights Senior Living Community – Nice Apartments for Seniors
  1. MerryWood on Park – Charlotte Active Retirement Community
  1. The Cypress of Charlotte – Beautiful 55+ Community in Charlotte
  • Address: 3442 Cypress Club Dr., Charlotte, NC 28210
  • Website: https://thecypressofcharlotte.com/ 
  • Phone: (704) 714-5500
  • Amenities: landscaping, game rooms, social clubs, health centers, gyms, education classes, a salon, a library, and an art studio.
  1. Carolina Arbors
  • Address: 357 Carolina Arbors Dr., Durham, NC 27703
  • Website: ourcarolinaarbors.com
  • Phone: (984) 219-7051
  • Amenities: indoor and outdoor pools, art studios, and a well-equipped fitness center. Residents of the community who want to engage in activities such as poker or politics through clubs can do so.
  • Price range: low $400s to mid $600s

About: This neighborhood is situated in the incredibly convenient “The Triangle,” which comprises Raleigh, Chapel Hill, and Durham. Carolina Arbors, a community created by real estate tycoon Del Webb with over 1,200 low-maintenance houses that were all built within the last ten years. Homeowners can select a home size to fit their retirement lifestyle, from smaller homes starting at roughly 1,100 square feet to larger homes up to 2,500 square feet.

Reviews and ratings: This neighborhood has an overall rating of five stars on 55places, where residents praise the floor plans for having “great kitchens and oversized closets.” Google reviews are at a four-star average, while on city-data.com, residents praise the community’s amenities and social opportunities.

Notable local facilities or attractions: Museum aficionados will delight in Raleigh, which is close by and is renowned as the “Smithsonian of the South” for its elite collection of museums, the majority of which provide free or inexpensive admission.

  1. Carolina Preserve at Amberly
  • Address: 115 Allforth Place, Cary, NC 27519
  • Website:  carolinapreserve.com
  • Phone: (919) 467-7837
  • Amenities: indoor and outdoor swimming, athletic facilities, a trail system, and a pottery studio
  • Price range: low $400s to mid $700s

About: Carolina Preserve is a section of the greater Amberly planned community, which offers residents a wealth of amenities and its own town center. It won’t take long for residents to get active in this neighborhood because there are several interest groups, volunteer opportunities, and community activities that encourage interactions among neighbors. 

Ratings and Reviews: With an average rating of 5, reviews at 55+ places are overwhelmingly favorable and highlight how nice it is to live at Carolina Reserve because there are so many chances for community involvement. The amenities offered here have received over 30 positive Google reviews with an average rating of 4.5/5 from locals, residents, and Realtors® in the region.

Notable local facilities or attractions: Located about midway between Raleigh and Durham, Cary offers a suburban setting with quick access to the comforts of larger cities. There are big-box businesses, grocery stores, golf courses, medical facilities, and even an emergency veterinary clinic within minutes of the community’s entrance.

  1. Del Webb Wilmington

About: Del Webb Wilmington provides the features many buyers seek in an age-restricted community: indoor and outdoor pools, pickleball courts, and planned social activities. It also has easy access to beaches.

Ratings and reviews: The overall rating on Google for Del Webb Wilmington is 4.3 out of 5. Residents talk about how much they enjoy having quick access to the lake for kayaking, fishing, and enjoying the scenery. The quantity of clubs, activities, and “fun” lifestyle offered here are praised in a 5-star review on 55places.com.

Noteworthy amenities and attractions: Located on the residential outskirts of Wilmington, residents of this community will love easy access to the city and its many activities, as well as easy access to public parks and the coast. The Pine Valley shopping center is within 15 minutes and is anchored by a Publix supermarket, with pharmacies, an Aldi, banking, and gas stations nearby.

  1.  Del Webb’s Sun City Carolina Lakes

Del Webb’s Sun City Carolina Lakes is one of the premier retirement communities in Charlotte. It offers single-family and attached homes—3,400 of them are in the community—and it’s located in For Mill, South Carolina. With an easy commute into Charlotte, many people find that this community has exactly what they need.

Other amenities in this 1,512 acre 55 community include:

40,000 sf clubhouse and rec centerWoodworking shopBocce ball courts
Fitness classesGrand ballroomoutdoor resort-style pool
Social activitiesCaféSoftball field
indoor lap poolComputer labBasketball court
SpaLibraryCommunity garden
Aerobics and dance studioDemonstration kitchen10 scenic lakes stocked with fish
indoor walking track8 clay tennis courtsWalking and biking trails
Hobby and craft studiosPickleball courtsThe Carolina Lakes Golf Club
  1. Four Seasons at Gold Hill
  • Address: 509 Turquoise Way, Fort Mill, SC 29708
  • Website:  https://fourseasonsgoldhill.org/
  • Phone: (803) 548-6700

With single-family and attached homes, Four Seasons at Gold Hill is located in Fort Mill. There are 301 homes in this community, which prides itself on friendly residents and spectacular amenities.

Other amenities at the Four Seasons at Gold Hill include:

12,000 square-foot clubhouseOutdoor poolOutdoor pavilion
Fitness centerSpaGarden
Hobby roomsTennis courtAn on-site activities director
LibraryPutting greenNeighborhood parties
Billiard roomPatio with grilling areaDay trips to local attractions,
Clubs and interest groups
  1. The Polo Club at Mountain Island Lake
  • Address: 4850 Polo Gate Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28216
  • Website:  https://www.pcmil.org/
  • Phone: (704) 892-1660

The Polo Club at Mountain Island Lake is an exceptionally popular retirement community in Charlotte among active adults. This community includes 98 single-family and attached homes.

Other amenities at The Polo Club at Mountain Lakes include:

  • 3,000 square-foot clubhouse
  • Catering kitchen
  • Outdoor pool and patio
  • Grilling area
  • Residents’ lounge with fireplace
  • Exercise room
  • Walking trails
  1. The Polo Club at Weddington

One of the most desirable “55 communities” in Charlotte is The Polo Club at Weddington. Featuring 95 attached homes, this community is known for low-maintenance living and exceptional amenities.

Amenities at The Polo Club at Weddington include:

5,000 square-foot clubhouseTennis courts
Exercise roomA scenic lake
Outdoor swimming poolSoftball field
Billiards roomPicnic areas
Walking and biking trailsExterior maintenance, including lawn care
  1. Trilogy Lake Norman

Trilogy Lake Norman is a Shea Homes neighborhood that has been hailed as one of the top master-planned communities in the country and has been placed on the Top 50 Master-Planned Communities in America list by Where to Retire magazine. Trilogy Lake Norman is the only Charlotte area 55+ community to make the list.

Trilogy Lake Norman is a hip and energetic active lifestyle gated community set on six hundred acres of rolling landscape, wooded forests, and natural streams and waterways, just a short distance from picturesque Lake Norman and 25 minutes north of Uptown Charlotte.  With a master plan of 1,650 single-family homes priced from the mid $200s to the high $400s, this community offers six models to tour and a total of 13 floor plans ranging from 1,450 to 3,300 sf to choose from.  This 55-and-over community includes amenities such as:

Award-winning 30,000 sq ft Twin Mills Resort ClubExercise roomGathering roomsResident loungeRestaurantIndoor poolDemonstration kitchenPatioTennis courtsPickleball courts
  1. Cresswind

Cresswind is Charlotte’s best located active adult Over-55 community.  Located just 25 minutes from Uptown and within walking distance to the new Novant Hospital,  Cresswind has nine designer model floor plans, and the master plan for the community will have 850 single-family Craftsman-style homes with prices ranging from the high $200s to the mid $500s.  Amenities include:

18,000 square-foot clubhouseIndoor and outdoor pools
Fitness CenterEvent lawn
Bocce ball courtsFuture commercial amenities
Walking trailsTennis courts
Novant Mint Hill Medical Center nearbyPickleball courts
  1. Regency at Palisades

Regency at Palisades is a Toll Brothers Active Living Community and is one of the newest Over-55 Active Adult communities in the Charlotte area.  With prices starting in the mid $300s, Regency at Palisades offers a rich and luxurious lifestyle with state-of-the-art resort-style amenities and low maintenance living in the prestigious Palisades community of Lake Wylie  in Charlotte.  The community is set in an environment of natural preserves, access to Lake Wylie, and miles of spectacular nature trails.

Other amenities at the Regency at Palisades include:

  • Jack Nicklaus designed private golf course
  • Amenity center
  • Lake Wylie access
  • Championship Tennis facilities
  • Nearby shopping and dining attractions
  • Indoor/Outdoor swimming pools
  • Walking trails
  1. Best 55+ Retirement Communities in South Carolina
    1. Sun City Hilton Head – Bluffton, SC

One of the best 55+ active adult communities in the US! Sun City is situated in picturesque Bluffton, South Carolina, with its charming Old Town and clean May River, and it has a lot to offer. Famous Hilton Head beaches and Savannah, Georgia’s lively river strip, are just a 30-minute drive apart. Three golf courses and a number of eateries are located inside the gated neighborhood.

  • Address: 127 Sun City Ln., Bluffton, South Carolina 29909
  • Website: https://www.suncityhiltonhead.org/
  • Phone: (843) 310-0766
  • Amenities: Coast, River, Golf Privileges, Tennis, Hiking and Walking, Leisure Trails, Community Pool, Clubhouse, Boating, Spa On-Site, Security Gate/Guard, Retirement, Resort, Fitness Center, Gardens, Tax-Friendly, 55 Plus, Pickle Ball Court, Active Adult, Restaurant, Kayaking, Bocce Courts, Dog Park, Social Clubs
  1. Savannah Lakes Village – McCormick, SC

Located in McCormick, South Carolina, Savannah Lakes Village is a resort-style neighborhood. Numerous homebuyers are attracted by the country club lifestyle that is offered here, along with the numerous clubs and activities. In a dozen different neighborhoods, Savannah Lakes Village, which was founded in the late 1980s, offers both new and used homes. There will be single-family and connected houses available for sale in Savannah Lakes Village after it is finished. Additionally, the neighborhood offers a wide range of clubs and amenities, making it a great option for people who want to lead active lives. 

  • Address:101 Village Drive, McCormick, SC 29835
  • Website: https://savannahlakes.com/
  • Phone: (864) 391-5259
  • Amenities: The community offers two championship lakefront golf courses with restaurants and pro shops, fiber-optic Internet to each homesite, a 23,000 square foot recreation center with 6 lighted tennis courts (4 HarTru and 2 hard surface), pickleball, indoor and outdoor pools, sauna, fitness room, private card rooms, library, 50+ social clubs, yoga studio, Rod & Gun Club, and much more. 
  1. Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head – Hardeeville, SC

A brand-new 55+ active adult neighborhood in South Carolina’s Hilton Head region is called Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head. More than 3,000 attached and single-family homes, as well as resort-style amenities, are planned by renowned developer Minto Communities in collaboration with international lifestyle company Margaritaville Holdings. These features are inspired by the carefree way of life portrayed in Jimmy Buffett’s lyrics. Latitude Margaritaville homeowners will experience the best that coastal South Carolina has to offer with a location within a half-hour of the white-sand beaches and top-notch golf courses of Hilton Head.

  • Address: 356 Latitude Boulevard, Hardeeville, SC 29927
  • Website:https://www.latitudemargaritaville.com/hilton-head
  • Phone: (866) 595-4364
  • Amenities: Town Center, Multipurpose Rooms, Latitude Town Square with Bandshell, 290,000 Sq. Ft. Retail Center, Fins Up! Fitness Center, Indoor Pool, Workin’ ‘N’ Playin’ Center, Arts & Crafts Studio, The Hangar Workshop, Game & Hobby Room, Coconut Telegraph Business Center, Last Mango Theater, Barkaritaville Pet Spa,Paradise Pool with Beach Entry & Tiki Huts, Outdoor Patio, Latitude Bar & Chill Restaurant, Changes in Attitude Poolside Bar, Tennis Courts, Pickleball Courts, Bocce Ball Courts, Barkaritaville Dog Park, Walking Trails
  1. Cresswind Charleston – Summerville, SC

Cresswind Charleston is located in Summerville, South Carolina, not far from Charleston. The Cresswind neighborhood for active adults is part of The Ponds, a master-planned community, and features roomy floor plans with first-floor master suites.

Great amenities for leading a socially and physically active lifestyle will be available at Cresswind Charleston. Residents appreciate living in a peaceful yet practical area close to golf courses, hospitals, and other facilities.

  1. Del Webb at Grande Dunes Myrtle Beach – Myrtle Beach, SC

In Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, award-winning builder Del Webb created the 55+ community known as Del Webb at Grande Dunes Myrtle Beach. There will eventually be 524 single-family and connected homes in this active adult community, which is part of the Grande Dunes master-planned community. Residents have access to the Grande Dunes Ocean Club on the sands of the Atlantic Ocean as well as resort-style amenities in a clubhouse on-site. Del Webb at Grande Dunes Myrtle Beach is a housing development aimed at active adults searching for properties in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

  • Address: 101 Grande Dunes Blvd., Myrtle Beach, SC 29572
  • Website: https://grandedunes.com/
  • Phone: (843) 306-9653
  • Amenities: Clubhouse – 15,000 sq. ft., Multipurpose Room, Fitness Center, Hobby & Game Room, Card Room, Arts & Crafts Studio, Indoor Pool, Outdoor Resort-Style Pool, Outdoor Lap Pool, Tennis Courts, Pickleball Courts, Bocce Courts, Event Lawn, Walking & Biking Trails, Scenic Ponds, Parks & Natural Space
  1. Encore Restore at Carolina Park

Carolina Park, a 1,700-acre master-planned community in the charming town of Mount Pleasant, is located in the Lowcountry of South Carolina along the banks of the Wando River. Within, you’ll find Restore at Carolina Park, a 55+ active adult neighborhood, where Encore by David Weekley Homes is selling single-family homes.

  • Address: 1855 Bolden Drive, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29466
  • 101 Grande Dunes Blvd., Myrtle Beach, SC 29572
  • Website: https://carolinapark.com/encore-davidweekley/
  • Phone: (843) 793-0400
  • Amenities: Residents in larger Carolina Park have access to all the amenities one would expect from an impressive master-planned community. With a fitness center that offers a wide selection of classes, sports fields, courts, a swimming pool, and a pavilion, staying active is simple. In addition to more than 200 acres of preserved forests, Carolina Park also has 80 acres of passive parkland. When it does happen that you’d like to stay indoors, consider going to the movies, getting a massage, or enrolling in an art class.
  1. Bridgewater – Little River, SC

Little River, South Carolina’s Bridgewater, is a brand-new active lifestyle neighborhood. 950 acres of picturesque land will be used for the construction of 1,550 attached and single-family houses by Chesapeake Houses. Carefully planned residences will be positioned beside picturesque lakes and natural views in this resort-style neighborhood.

Amenities: Clubhouse – 5,000 Sq.Ft., Fitness Center, Great Room, Community Kitchen, Multipurpose Rooms, Card Room, 2 Resort-Style Pools, Outdoor Patio, Fire Pit, Gazebo, Outdoor Grill, Dog Park, Community Garden Plots, Parks & Natural Space, Walking & Biking Trails, Bocce Ball Courts, Pickleball Courts.