The Villages is the world’s largest retirement community, located in central Florida, and it’s probably not what you think. As the fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States, The Villages spans 57 square miles. For context — Washington, D.C. is only 68 square miles, so only slightly bigger. It’s home to 150,000 people ages 55+, but don’t let that fool you into thinking the Villages is some sleepy town. No way! It wouldn’t be far off to call this place a college town for those in their later years, with a few major upgrades: no homework, better drinks, and a lot of golf carts.
When I say a lot of golf carts, I mean it! The Villages have over 100,000 golf carts; everything, from the doctor’s office to the county club, is accessible by over 100 miles of golf cart paths. Residents play over 2.5 million games of golf a year — that’s roughly 6,000 games a day! There are 14 country clubs, 117 pools, and over 6,500 clubs offering everything from Zumba and journaling to World War 2 book clubs and pickleball.
Oh, and did I mention there’s live music and dancing every single day of the year?
On the flip side, the Villages have picked up quite a scandalous reputation. While attending Zumba and book clubs sounds quite wholesome, this community has been the subject of some scandalous rumors of drinking and swinging (the loofah and upside-down pineapple type). Is The Villages as wholesome as I think it is? Or is there some truth to the rumors?
I decided to head to Florida and visit my amazing granny who has been a resident of The Villages since 2002 I asked her some of my Instagram followers’ most pressing questions and got to spend special quality time with her finding out what life at the world’s largest retirement community is actually like.
A peek into life at The Villages
The Villages was built with the idea of letting middle class folk live a full life with lots of luxurious amenities. The residents pay an amenity fee of $199/month that includes access to almost all the activities and amenities that the community offers.
What is the best part of living here, I asked. The answer – you will never be bored! There’s stuff to do from 5 AM to 10 PM every single day of the year.
After experiencing The Villages for myself, I can say for certain that this is not an exaggeration. If you go on The Villages’ resident app, you’ll find a daily events calendar with quite literally hundreds of events a day. You can join a theater company, take a dance class, play water polo, go sailing, learn how to quilt, and everything in between. Access to all of this is included in the amenity fee and members can bring any guests they’d like for free!
My granny is a member at the Orange Blossom Country Club, one of the community’s 14 country clubs. Access to the clubs is separate from the amenity fee, but only costs $210/year with unlimited free guest passes. Golfing costs an additional few dollars per game, poolside meals are affordable and happy hour starts at 10 AM — what more could you want?!
The best part of this very active community is the endless opportunities to make friends. Everywhere we went, it really did feel like a village. We stopped to pet dogs on our walk around the lake. At the pool, a group of ladies invited me to put on an impromptu performance with them (we named ourselves the Cabana Girls) and with everyone so close together, my granny’s friends often stopped by her house while I was there for a chat, Sunday morning brunch, or dinner.
Are the rumors true?
Although there is a dating scene and I picked up some fun anecdotes, like leaving the tag out on your shirt when you’re out dancing so a guy knows you’re single, Granny and her friends assured me the rumors were not true…and they definitely didn’t know anything about upside down pineapples or loofahs.
For the most part, The Villages are a wholesome group of retirees who just want to have fun! And fun they have. Just ask my granny and she’ll tell you that they party every day. One of my favorite parts of The Villages is the daily parties! The community has three town squares that each host live bands and a dance floor every single night of the year. When I’ve visited The Villages before with my entire extended family, we’ve spent all night long dancing, laughing, and soaking in the atmosphere. I can’t explain how freeing it is to dress up and just go dance in the street with friends, family, and total strangers!
Do people in The Villages live longer?
There has been some research done that the Villages are some of America’s healthiest communities. Residents may have a longer life expectancy thanks to the social connectedness and active lifestyle.
I grew up visiting my granny in the Village and I have always been impressed by the quality of life that you can have there. It seems exactly the way that humans were meant to live — surrounded by a community of friends, learning new hobbies, and just loving your life! I was so grateful that I got to spend such quality time with my incredible granny and her friends on my trip to The Villages.
Does The Villages sound like someplace you’d want to retire? Check out the video below to see my full trip to the world’s largest retirement community!
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