55+ living
Choosing A 55+ Community
Amenities sell communities. Reserve studies, floor plans, and drive times determine whether you're still happy in year ten.
Four models
The Communities People Actually Choose
Active Adult Resort
Golf, pickleball, fitness, clubs, and a social calendar you could not exhaust. Best for people who want built-in community from day one.
Lock-and-Leave Villas
Exterior maintenance handled, secure entry, and neighbors who notice. Designed for travelers and second-home owners.
Walkable Town Center
Coffee, dining, medical, and a grocery within a short walk. The single strongest predictor of long-term independence.
Small-Acreage Retreat
Space and quiet without the estate. Beautiful, but plan honestly for distance from specialty healthcare.
Community spotlight
Sun City Texas, Georgetown
If you only tour one 55+ community in Texas, tour this one — not because it is automatically right for you, but because it sets the standard everything else gets measured against. Three golf courses, resort amenities, and a calendar so full that the hardest part of the first year is saying no.
What matters financially: single-story homes, an HOA that handles the exterior chores you came here to escape, and a resale market deep enough that your equity stays liquid. That last point is the one most buyers overlook.
- Setting
- Georgetown, about 30 minutes north of Austin
- Golf
- Three championship courses inside the gates
- Amenities
- Multiple amenity centers, indoor and outdoor pools, fitness, tennis and pickleball
- Social life
- Hundreds of resident-run clubs, from woodworking to travel
- Homes
- Single-story floor plans with primary suites on the main level
- Resale
- The deepest 55+ resale market in Texas — easier to buy into, easier to leave
Central Texas
Over-55 Communities In Central Texas
From Georgetown down through the I-35 corridor and out into the Hill Country, Central Texas has more active adult inventory than anywhere else in the state — and the differences between them are financial, not cosmetic.
The benchmark
Georgetown
Home to the largest active adult community in Texas, with golf, hundreds of clubs, and a genuinely beautiful courthouse square minutes away. The deepest resale market in Central Texas for 55+ buyers.
Care and convenience
Round Rock & Pflugerville
Single-story homes and low-maintenance villas within short drives of major hospitals, specialty care, and the airport. Strong choice when adult children live in North Austin.
Hill Country edge
Leander & Cedar Park
Newer 55+ neighborhoods with rolling views, lake access, and rail service into Austin. Newer construction usually means fewer near-term capital assessments.
Best price per square foot
Kyle, Buda & San Marcos
The value corridor between Austin and San Antonio. Lower property taxes and entry prices stretch downsizing equity further into monthly cash flow.
Small-town character
New Braunfels & Boerne
Walkable historic downtowns, river culture, and lock-and-leave villas for people who travel. Popular with buyers splitting time between Texas and family elsewhere.
Lake living
Horseshoe Bay & Marble Falls
Resort amenities on Lake LBJ with a quieter pace. Budget carefully for drive time to specialty healthcare in Austin.
Affordability + lake life
Belton
Belton Lake and Stillhouse Hollow put boat ramps, marinas, and shoreline parks minutes from the front door, at prices well under the Austin metro. A strong pick when the goal is water access without resort-town pricing.
Small town, golf cart life
Salado
A village of art galleries, wineries, and Salado Creek where neighbors genuinely run errands by golf cart. Golf, walkable Main Street, and a slower rhythm — with Austin and Waco both about an hour away.
Most affordable, best healthcare
Temple
One of the most affordable cities in Central Texas and home to a major medical center, so world-class specialty care is a short drive rather than a road trip. Equity stretches unusually far here.
Property taxes, HOA dues, and drive time to healthcare vary more across these towns than list prices do. Two homes at the same price can differ by $900 a month in true carrying cost — which is the number that decides how much freedom your equity buys.
Before you sign
Seven Questions Worth Asking Twice
- 01What does the HOA actually cover — roof, paint, landscaping, insurance?
- 02May I read the last two reserve studies and the most recent budget?
- 03Have there been special assessments in the last five years?
- 04What percentage of homes are owner-occupied?
- 05Is the primary suite on the main floor in every floor plan?
- 06How far is the nearest hospital and specialty care?
- 07What happens to amenities as the community ages?
Want the printable version? It's inside the free guide.
Questions we get weekly
What People Ask Before They Tour
What is the best 55+ community in Central Texas?
Sun City Texas in Georgetown is the benchmark — three golf courses, hundreds of clubs, single-story homes, and the deepest 55+ resale market in the state. Whether it is best for you depends on drive time to your doctors, your family, and how much HOA-managed structure you actually want.
How much do 55+ community HOA dues cost in Texas?
Most active adult communities in Central Texas run roughly $100 to $350 a month, with resort-style and lock-and-leave villa communities at the higher end. Compare what the dues include — exterior maintenance, landscaping, amenities, security — because the cheapest dues are rarely the cheapest total carrying cost.
Do you have to be 55 to buy in an active adult community?
Typically at least one resident in the household must be 55 or older, and communities cap the share of households with residents under that age. Rules vary by community, so confirm the specific age covenant before you write an offer.
Is a 55+ community a good financial decision when downsizing?
It can be, when the smaller single-story home, lower utilities, and bundled maintenance cut your monthly carrying cost enough to free real income from your equity. Run the numbers before you tour — two homes at the same price can differ by hundreds of dollars a month in true cost.
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