Moving to The Villages, Florida

A practical city guide for deciding whether The Villages fits your life, planning the move, and settling in with fewer surprises.

Moving to The Villages, Florida? Start with the local context that changes a relocation decision in Sumter County. With roughly 79,077 residents, The Villages sits in Central Florida. Locally it's known as the largest age-restricted retirement community in the country, with 56 golf courses, its own town squares, and thousands of resident clubs. For relocators it's the go-to destination for active retirees seeking a self-contained 55+ lifestyle spanning Sumter, Marion, and Lake counties. Climate: humid subtropical inland — hottest summers in the state, daily afternoon thunderstorms, mild winters with occasional 30°F nights. Before choosing a home, pay attention to lightning capital of the US, sinkholes in the Brooksville Ridge, both Atlantic and Gulf hurricane reach. Local areas to put on your research list include Spanish Springs, Lake Sumter Landing, Brownwood Paddock Square. Use the guides, comparison tools, apartment research, and hurricane profile below before you narrow the move to an address.