Retirement communities in the Carolinas

Only communities with genuine retirement relevance are included: age-restricted, active-adult or retiree-oriented master-planned communities. Grouped by state, region and place.

KenmureA 1,400-acre gated country-club community in Flat Rock with a Joe Lee 18-hole course in a restored antebellum mansion setting, indoor and outdoor pools, six tennis courts, pickleball and bocce, and a property owners association with its own architectural review committee.

Hendersonville

RiverwindA built-out, age-restricted (55+) planned community of 243 homes on 74 acres at about 2,100 feet in Etowah, between Hendersonville and Brevard in Henderson County, North Carolina.

Brunswick Islands & South Coast

Sunset Beach

Ocean Ridge PlantationA master-planned golf and beach community with four golf courses, a private oceanfront beach club, fitness and pool amenities and more than 100 social clubs, still offering homesites and new homes; open to all ages.

Charlotte & Lake Norman

Belmont

Carolina Riverside by Del WebbAge-restricted 55+ Del Webb community on about 462 acres near the South Fork of the Catawba River in Belmont, planned for up to 809 detached homes and a commercial town center.

Denver

Trilogy Lake NormanGated 55+ Trilogy community by Shea Homes in Denver, Lincoln County, organized around the Twin Mills Club and Freedom Boat Club access to Lake Norman.

Mint Hill

Cresswind CharlotteKolter Homes' Cresswind Charlotte is a community marketed as 55+ on 370 acres in Mint Hill, about 25 minutes from Uptown Charlotte, with a 17,000-square-foot clubhouse, two pools and tennis, pickleball and bocce courts.

Crystal Coast & New Bern

New Bern

Carolina ColoursA master-planned golf community near New Bern with a 17,000-square-foot Pavilion, an 18-hole course, pickleball and tennis and an on-site shopping center; open to all ages and marketed to retirees and families alike.

Outer Banks

Kill Devil Hills

Colington HarbourA guard-gated waterfront community on Big Colington Island west of Kill Devil Hills, with a marina and boat ramp, a soundfront park, dog parks and an optional yacht and racquet club; open to all ages.

Nags Head

The Village at Nags HeadA sound-to-ocean planned community in Nags Head with 650+ property owners, an 18-hole links-style golf course, an oceanfront beach club, two sound access parks and ten neighborhood sub-associations; open to all ages.

Sandhills & Pinehurst

Pinehurst

Forest CreekA private 37-hole Tom Fazio golf community in Pinehurst, opened in 1996 on a 1,265-acre former family estate, with a pool, fitness center, racquet sports and village homes, estate homes and custom homesites.
Pinehurst TraceA Pinehurst subdivision of originally 232 lots, restated under covenants dated August 2020 as housing intended and operated for persons 55 or older, with a homeowners association that maintains lawns and exteriors and owns the clubhouse, pool and courts.

Triangle: Raleigh, Durham & Chapel Hill

Cary

Carolina PreserveA 1,360-home 55+ active adult community inside the Amberly master plan in Cary, built around the Bradford Hall clubhouse and bordering the American Tobacco Trail and Jordan Lake Nature Preserve.

Clayton

Carolina Overlook by Del WebbA Del Webb community marketed as 55+ at 19 Dover Downs Drive in Clayton, in Johnston County, planned for 600 homes, with villas, carriage homes and single-family homes from $336,990.
The Walk at East VillageA 55+ age-restricted community in downtown Clayton, NC, where McKee Homes sells single-family homes and villas near the Triangle, with a recorded declaration requiring one occupant aged 55 or older in at least 80 percent of occupied homes.

Durham

Carolina ArborsA Del Webb 55+ community of 1,292 main-floor-living homes in Durham, with Piedmont Hall, a 37,000 square foot community center, indoor and outdoor pools and racquet courts.

Fuquay-Varina

Carolina Gardens by Del WebbA completed, age-restricted Del Webb community of 818 lots in Fuquay-Varina, Wake County, governed by a homeowners association with its own amenity center, Magnolia Manor.

Pittsboro

Fearrington VillagePlanned English-village-style community of more than 1,200 homes on a former dairy farm in Chatham County, with no age restriction, a Village Center of shops and restaurants, walking trails and clubs.

Wake Forest

Del Webb at TraditionsA 455-home age-qualified Del Webb community in Wake Forest with the 18,000-square-foot Regency Manor, more than 50 clubs, and monthly HOA dues of $272 for 2026.

Wilmington & Cape Fear

Leland

Brunswick ForestA large master-planned community in Leland, Brunswick County, centered on the 18-hole Cape Fear National golf course, with pools, fitness centers, courts and trails.
Compass PointeA gated resort-style community in Leland, minutes from downtown Wilmington, with the Grand Lanai amenity center, a private golf club, wellness center and custom-built homes.
Del Webb Wilmington at Mallory CreekA Del Webb 55+ community of ranch-style single-family homes in Leland, with an amenity clubhouse, indoor and outdoor pools and pickleball courts.

St. James

St. James PlantationA gated golf-and-marina master-planned community inside the incorporated Town of St. James near Southport, with 81 holes of golf, a beach club on Oak Island and a large retiree population but no age restriction.

Wilmington

Del Webb at RiverlightsA 55+ Del Webb neighborhood within the Riverlights master-planned community on the Cape Fear River in Wilmington, sold out of new homes and available only through resale.

South Carolina

Beaufort, Bluffton & Hilton Head

Bluffton

Sun City Hilton HeadA large Del Webb 55+ community with a Bluffton address, opened in 1995, with three golf courses and recorded CC&Rs requiring a resident aged 55 or older.
The Haven at New RiversideDel Webb active-adult community of about 500 homes in Bluffton, South Carolina, operated as 55+ housing under a Fourth Amended and Restated Declaration recorded in Beaufort County in 2025.

Dataw Island

Dataw Island ClubGated 870-acre island with two golf courses, a marina and a community center near Beaufort, where owners join both the Dataw Island Owners Association and the Dataw Island Club and no minimum-age rule appears in the recorded declaration.

Hardeeville

Latitude Margaritaville Hilton HeadA gated community marketed as 55+ by Minto Communities on Highway 278 in Hardeeville, 2.5 miles east of I-95, with a town center, pool, fitness center, theater and racquet courts.

Charleston & Lowcountry

Charleston

Del Webb Point HopeDel Webb active-adult community in the Point Hope master plan in Charleston, selling single-family homes from $532,990 with most amenity-center features still listed as planned.

Goose Creek

Horizons at Carnes CrossroadsAge-restricted 55+ Lennar community within the Carnes Crossroads Agrihood master plan in Goose Creek, with cottage, legends and carriage collections from the high $200,000s.

Summerville

Cresswind CharlestonA community marketed as 55+ by Kolter Homes in Summerville, inside The Ponds master plan, with a 12,000-square-foot clubhouse, resort-style pool, trails and an on-site YMCA, about 30 minutes from downtown Charleston per the developer.
Del Webb at Cane BayGated 55+ active-adult community on 360 acres at 325 Palmetto Point Drive, Summerville, built out in 2017 with about 1,000 homes, per its association site and secondary sources.
Del Webb Charleston at NextonDel Webb Charleston at Nexton is a gated active-adult community at 1261 Del Webb Drive, Summerville, SC 29486, inside the Nexton master plan; Del Webb is currently selling new homes.
Four Seasons at The Lakes of Cane BayK. Hovnanian's Four Seasons at Lakes of Cane Bay is a gated 55+ community off US 176 near I-26, about 35 miles from downtown Charleston per the builder, with new homes from the upper $300s.
Horizons at Summers CornerLennar's Horizons at Summers Corner is a gated community marketed as 55+ inside the 6,000-acre Summers Corner master plan in Summerville, with a clubhouse, lagoon-style pool, fitness center and pickleball courts.

Fort Mill, Indian Land & Charlotte South

Indian Land

Sun City Carolina LakesEstablished 55+ Del Webb community of more than 5,000 residents on the Catawba River in Indian Land, South Carolina, with two community centers, three pools and an 18-hole public golf course.

Grand Strand & Myrtle Beach

Myrtle Beach

Cresswind Myrtle BeachA 248-acre Cresswind 55+ community of single-family homes at Market Common in Myrtle Beach, with a 12,000-square-foot clubhouse, pool, pickleball and tennis courts, bocce and an amphitheater.

North Myrtle Beach

Del Webb North Myrtle BeachA Del Webb community marketed as 55+ at 1315 Saw Palmetto Street in North Myrtle Beach, with single-family homes from $585,990, a 12,000-square-foot clubhouse and sports courts.

Greenville & Upstate

Greenville

Del Webb GreenvilleA 55+ active adult community of new ranch homes on 209 acres with one mile of Reedy River frontage in Greenville County, with its amenity campus described as future.

Lake Keowee, Hartwell & Savannah River Lakes

McCormick

Savannah Lakes VillagePrivate, member-owned master-planned lakefront community of more than 4,000 acres on Lake Thurmond in McCormick County, with two golf courses, a recreation center and club membership included with property ownership.

Salem

Keowee KeyA member-owned, 1,600-acre gated lake community on Lake Keowee in Salem, South Carolina, with golf, a marina, racquet and fitness facilities and its own water and sewer utility.

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